DEPARTMENT  OF  COMMERCE 

BUREAU  OF  FOREIGN  AND  DOMESTIC  COMMERCE 

JULIUS  KLEIN,  Director 


SPECIAL  CONSULAR  REPORTS— No.  85 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA 

ITS  RESOURCES,  INDUSTRIES,  AND  TRADE 


SAMUEL  W.  HONAKER 

United  States  Consul,  Lourenco  Marques 


PRICE,  S  CENTS 

Sold  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Government  Printing  Office, 

Washington,  D.  C. 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1923 


U.A*J  Vo 

'  CONTENTS 


_  Pag«. 

Letter  of  submittal . J _  i v 

^Geography  and  climate . . . : .  1 

Finances  of  the  colonial  government .  1 

VRailwavs . . .  2 

^‘Minerals .  3 

zr  Agriculture .  3 

Trade  and  commerce . 4 

District  of  Lourenco  Marques . . .  5 

Wharf  and  harbor  equipment .  6 

Principal  manufactures — Crops .  7 

District  of  Gaza .  8 

District  of  Inhambane . 8 

District  of  Quilimane .  9 

Operation  of  the  prazo  system .  9 

Agriculture  and  principal  products .  9 

District  of  Mozambique .  10 

District  of  Tete .  11 

Territory  of  the  Companhia  do  Nyassa . . . : .  11 

Principal  towns .  11 

Chief  products . 12 

Foreign  trade .  12 

Territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique .  12 

Mineral  production .  13 

Agricultural  possibilities .  13 

Principal  port — Improvements  under  way .  14 

Cattle . J .  15 

Pests  and  diseases .  15 

Maize  production . 16 

Chief  producing  centers .  16 

Principal  port  of  export . ; .  17 

Other  maize-growing  sections . 17 

Cotton  industry .  18 

Principal  producing  areas . 18 

Production,  1920 — Varieties  grown .  19 

Sisal  industry .  20 

Propagation  and  production .  20 

Sugar, . 21 

Varieties  of  cane  grown .  22 

Annual  production.  Province  of  Mozambique . . .  22 

•  Sena  Sugar  Estates .  22 

Sugar  interests  of  the  Companhia  Colonial  do  Buzi .  *23 

Other  sugar  companies .  24 

Other  native  products . , .  25 

Mangrove  bark .  25 

Tobacco .  26 

Coffee .  26 

Tea .  27 

Rice . 1 .  28 

Rubber .  28 

Peanuts . 29 

Cashew  nuts .  30 

Kapok  and  beeswax .  30 


* 


iii 


I 


LETTER  OF  SUBMITTAL. 


Department  of  Commerce, 

Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce, 

Washington ,  March  28,  1928. 

Sir:  Submitted  herewith  is  a  report  on  the  resources  and  trade  of 
Portuguese  East  Africa  by  Samuel  W.  Honaker,  United  States  consul 
at  Lourenco  Marques.  The  report  contains  much  basic  and  special 
information  that  will  be  useful  to  American  exporters  of  manufac¬ 
tured  goods  and  importers  of  tropical  raw  materials. 

Respectfully, 

Julius  Klein,  Director. 

To  Hon.  Herbert  Hoover, 

Secretary  of  Commerce . 

IV 


j 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA:  ITS  RESOURCES,  INDUSTRIES,  AND 

TRADE. 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  CLIMATE. 

Portuguese  East  Africa  is  now  the  most  important  of  Portugal's 
remaining  colonies.  It  is  situated  on  the  southeast  coast  of  Africa 
and  lies  between  latitude  10°  40'  and  26°  24'  south.  It  is  bounded 
on  the  north,  south,  and  west  by  growing  British  possessions  and 
faces  the  Indian  Ocean  on  the  east.  It  has  a  coast  line  of  1,380  miles. 
The  whole  of  this  littoral  is  well  indented  and  provides  fair  facilities 
for  the  growing  trade  of  the  interior.  The  principal  harbors  are  at 
Lourenco  Marques,  Inhambane,  Bartholomeu  Dias,  Beira,  Quilimane, 
Angosta,  Lumbo,  Mozambique,  Porto  Amelia,  and  Ibo. 

The  official  designation  of  the  entire  territory,  measuring  426,713 
square  miles,  is  the  Province  of  Mozambique,  so  called  from  the  old 
capital  of  the  same  name.  It  is  administered  by  a  High  Commis¬ 
sioner,  who  exercises  the  functions  belonging  to  the  Central  Govern¬ 
ment  at  Lisbon.  It  now  has  a  constitution  and  a  legislative  council. 
The  Province  of  Mozambique  consists  of  the  districts  of  Lourenco 
Marques,  Gaza,  Inhambane,  Quilimane,  Tete,  and  Mozambique,  and 
also  comprises  the  territories  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique  and 
Companhia  do  Nyassa,  both  of  which  exercise  charter  rights  over  the 
territory  under  their  jurisdiction. 

The  population  of  the  entire  territory  is  estimated  at  3,437,844,  of 
which  the  white  inhabitants  form  only  a  very  small  percentage.  The 
population  by  districts  is  given  as  follows:  ‘Lourenco  Marques  and 
Gaza,  349,583;  Inhambane,  414,654;  Quilimane,  712,987;  Tete, 
396,437;  Mozambique,  756,374;  Companhia  do  Nyassa,  513,172; 
and  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique,  294,637. 

The  climate  of  Portuguese  East  Africa  varies  from  tropical  in  the 
north  to  subtropical  in  the  south.  The  summer  months  are  Novem¬ 
ber,  December,  January,  and  February,  and  winter  embraces  the 
months  of  May,  June,  and  July.  The  maximum  temperature  in  the 
shade  at  Lourenco  Marques  for  November  and  December  of  1920 
and  January  of  1921  was  100.4°,  102.2°,  and  100.19°,  respectively, 
the  mean  temperature  for  the  same  months  being  75.05°,  76.53°,  and 
77.21°,  respectively. 

FINANCES  OF  THE  COLONIAL  GOVERNMENT. 

The  revenue  and  expenditures  of  the  Province  of  Mozambique  for 
the  fiscal  year  1921-22  were  estimated  as  follows  for  the  territories 
directly  under  its  administration  (1  escudo  =  $1.0805  U.  S.  mint  par) : 


REVENUE.  Escudos. 

Direct  taxes  and  imports . T .  5, 148,  000 

Indirect  taxes .  2,  960,  000 

State  property  and  other  receipts .  2,  394, 000 

Receipts  compensating  expenditures .  333,  966 

Receipts,  specially  marked .  2,  303,  670 

Extraordinary  receipts .  10,  000 

Estimated  surplus  for  the  year .  600,  000 


Total . . .  13,749,636 


2 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


EXPENDITURES.  Escudos. 

Civil  and  military  personnel .  7, 107,  891 

Materials,  house  rents,  etc .  1,  783, 173 

Loans,  guaranties,  and  installments .  503,  859 

Pensions . .  \\ .  100,  000 

Subsidies .  61,  620 

Payments  in  coparticipations .  305,  260 

Missions .  384,  800 

Sundry  expenditures . 623,  010 

Payments  for  account  of  previous  years .  300,  000 

Extraordinary  expenditures .  2,  580,  023 


Total . .  13,749,636 


RAILWAYS. 

There  are  only  659  miles  of  railway  in  operation  throughout  the 
Province  of  Mozambique.  The  following  table  shows  the  railways 
in  each  district: 

Lourenco  Marques. — Lourenco  Marques  to  Ressano  Garcia,  55  miles;  Machova  to 
Taba,  37  miles;  Moamba  to  Chinavane,  57  miles;  Languene  to  Marracuene,  19  miles. 

Gaza. — Chai  Chai  to  Chicomo,  57  miles. 

Inhambane. — Inhambane  to  Inharrime,  56  miles. 

Quilimane.- — Main  line,  46  miles;  Nhamacurra  to  M’Cuba,  70  miles. 

Mozambique. — Main  line  (Lumbo),  58  miles. 

Territory  of  Companhia  de  Mozambique . — Beira  to  Umtali,  204  miles. 

i 

In  addition  to  the  above  lines  the  Trans-Zambesi  a  Railway  will  be 
thrown  open  to  regular  traffic  in  the  near  future.  The  construction 
of  this  line  is  one  of  the  most  important  railway  developments  which 
has  taken  place  in  the  southern  part  of  Africa  in  recent  years.  It 
was  started  in  1920,  the  contract  having  been  awarded  to  a  British 
concern  in  the  sum  of  £810,000  ($3,941,865  at  normal  rate  of  ex¬ 
change).  The  line  is  to  extend  from  a  point  about  18  miles  from 
Beira  on  the  Beira  Junction  Railway  to  a  point  on  the  Zambezi 
River  opposite  Chindio,  which  is  the  "terminus  of  the  Central  Afqca 
Railway.  It  will  have  a  length  of  approximately  165  miles  and  will 
rise  from  almost  sea  level  to  1,200  feet.  It  will  also  form  part  of  a 
through  route  from  Cape  Town  to  Lake  Nvasa  via  Bulawayo  and 
Salisbury,  Rhodesia. 

The  Trans-Zambesia  Railway  will  run  entirely  within  Portuguese 
territory.  It  is,  however,  primarily  a  British  enterprise  and  is  being 
built  for  the  purpose  of  opening  up  British  Nyasaland.  By  the  con¬ 
struction  of  this  railway  the  latter  territory  will  gain  direct  access 
to  the  sea  through  the  port  of  Beira.  This  line  will  also  exert  a 
powerful  influence  on  the  rich  country  through  which  it  will  pass  and 
will  benefit  materially  northeastern  Rhodesia  and  the  district  of 
Tete,  which  is  believed  to  be  highly  mineralized. 

While  all  the  railways  of  Portuguese  East  Africa  are  important 
factors  in  the  economy  of  each  district,  the  line  running  from  Lou¬ 
renco  Marques  to  Ressano  Garcia  to  connect  with  the  South  African 
railways  at  Komatipoort  is,  at  the  present  moment,  absolutely 
essential  to  the  well-being  of  the  growing  port  of  Delagoa  Bay.  The 
trade  created  in  the  Transvaal  and  passing  over  this  railway  consti¬ 
tutes  the  chief  business  of  Lourenco  Marques,  in  view  of  the  unde¬ 
veloped  state  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  this  section  of  the 
country.  This  line  of  55  miles  is  the  chief  artery  in  the  transporta¬ 
tion  to  Johannesburg,  the  greatest  gold-mining  area  in  the  world 
and  the  largest  distributing  center  in  inland  Africa.  It  affords  the 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


3 


quickest  and  cheapest  route  from  the  coast  to  the  eastern,  central, 
and  northern  sections  of  the  Transvaal,  is  the  best  adapted  to  serve 
the  Witwatersrand  with  its  huge  import  trade,  and  offers  to  the  coal 
♦  fields  of  the  Eastern  Transvaal  an  economic  outlet  for  its  millions  of 
tons  of  coal. 

The  Beira  &  Mashonaland  &  Rhodesia  Railway  has  also  played  an 
important  part  in  the  development  of  the  port  of  Beira.  This  railway 
provides  an  outlet  for  Rhodesian  produce  and  affords  a  convenient 
port  for  the  entry  of  manufactured  goods  of  all  kinds.  It  is  also 
proving  a  powerful  instrument  in  the  steady  development  of  a  ter¬ 
ritory  possessing  great  potential  resources. 

The  following  table  shows  the  revenue,  tonnage,  and  passengers 
carried  by  the  internal  and  combined  railway  lines  for  the  period 
from  1913  to  1920,  inclusive: 


Years. 

Revenue — 

Tons. 

Passengers. 

In  pounds 
sterling. 

In  U.  S. 
dollars.1 

1913 . 

£337,317 
268, 376 
215, 527 
249, 764 
273, 900 
247, 443 
248, 018 
340, 160 

$1,641,553 
1,306, 052 
1, 048, 862 
1, 215,476 
1, 332, 934 
1, 204, 181 
1, 206, 979 
1,655,388 

1,055, 278 
922, 975 
775, 852 
1, 071, 933 
1, 142, 931 
1, 444, 952 
1, 047, 438 
1, 463, 054 

168,503 
156, 707 
172, 936 
.  267,296 
245, 317 
262,664 
287, 704 
320, 512 

1914 . 

1915 . 

1916 . 

1917 . 

1918 . 

1919 . 

1920 . 

1  Conversion  factor,  $4.8665  to  the  pound  sterling. 


MINERALS. 

There  is  very  little  information  available  of  a  definite  and  conclusive 
character  regarding  the  mineral  resources  of  Portuguese  East  Africa. 
The  Province  of  Mozambique  has  not  yet  been  surveyed  geologically, 
although  a  certain  amount  of  prospecting  has  been  carried  on  from 
time  to  time  in  the  more  accessible  places.  From  the  mining  point 
of  view  this  country  is  practically  virgin  ground.  Certain  minerals, 
such  as  gold,  silver,  copper,  tin,  asbestos,  and  coal,  are  known  to 
exist,  and  the  country  is  generally  reported  as  being  rich  in  minerals, 
but  the  scarcity  of  capital  and  the  smallness  of  the  white  population 
have  militated  against  the  development  of  this  industry.  Mining  is 
confined  almost  entirely  to  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mocam- 
bique,  in  which  the  Macequece  district  is  the  best-known  area. 

AGRICULTURE. 

Portuguese  East  Africa  is  known  to  possess  vast  sources  of  wealth 
in  na  ural  resources,  and  the  riches  with  which  it  is  endowed  very 
largely  await  development.  Its  soil  is  extremely  fertile,  and  even 
with  primitive  methods  of  cultivation  it  produces  excellent  sugar, 
maize,  rice,  puza  wheat,  potatoes,  roots,  and  all  kinds  of  tropical 
fruit  and  vegetables.  It  is  also  rich  in  native  timbers  and  hardwoods, 
such  as  ebony,  manga,  mukema  or  bloodwood,  panga  panga,  and 
certain  species  of  mahogany.  The  forests  abound  in  woods  suitable 
for  the  manufacture  of  furniture,  and  some  are  reputed  to  be  well 
adapted  for  use  as  railway  sleepers. 


4 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


Sugar  cane  and  maize  are  the  principal  agricultural  crops.  The 
former  is  produced  all  along  the  coast,  as  well  as  in  the  interior,  but 
the  best  results  are  obtainable  in  the  Zambezi  Valley.  Maize  thrives 
in  nearly  every  part  of  the  Province  of  Mozambique.  Many  kinds 
of  beans  and  vegetable  oil-bearing  products  grow  profusely  in  the 
central  and  northern  districts,  and  already  an  important  industry  is 
beginning  to  arise  in  these  highly  useful  products.  The  mafurreira, 
a  large  tree  occurring  over  a  wide  belt,  yields  a  considerable  quantity 
of  seed  from  which  oil  is  produced.  There  are  also  a  very  large  num¬ 
ber  of  coconut  trees  in  the  Province  of  Mozambique,  especially  near 
the  coast  in  the  district  of  Quilimane,  and  from  the  magnificent 
plantations,  particularly  those  of  the  Companhia  do  Boror,  an  excel¬ 
lent  grade  of  copra  is  being  produced.  This  country  is  also  an  im¬ 
portant  source  of  mangrove  bark. 

Portuguese  East  Africa  is  essentially  an  agricultural  and  pastoral 
country.  In  addition  to  being  favored  with  fertile  lands  for  farming 
purposes,  there  are  large  areas  covered  with  succulent  grass,  and  in 
the  cattle  industry  considerable  progress  has  been  made  lately  in 
spite  of  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  a  tropical  and  practically 
unsettled  country. 

TRADE  AND  COMMERCE. 

The  customs  tariff  is  solely  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  revenue. 
It  applies  to  certain  classes  of  exports  as  well  as  to  imports.  The 
same  rates  of  duty  are  not  always  applied  to  each  district  of  the 
Province.  The  districts  of  Lourenco  Marques,  Gaza,  Inhambane, 
and  Mozambique  are  grouped  under  one  heading;  Quilimane  and  Tete 
under  another;  and  the  territories  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique 
and  the  Companhia  do  Nyassa  have  their  own  tariffs.  Both  specific 
and  ad  valorem  duties  are  assessed.  They  are  payable  in  gold.  In 
addition  to  the  customs  duties  proper,  there  are  a  number  of  minor 
charges,  which  are,  however,  slight  in  amount. 

The  following  table  gives  the  number  of  ships  and  their  tonnage 
and  the  tons  of  cargo  passing  through  the  customs  ports  of  the  Prov¬ 
ince  for  the  periods  mentioned: 


Years. 

Total 
number 
of  ships. 

Tonnage. 

Cargo  in 
tons. 

1913 . 

1,910 

1,718 

1,334 

1,671 

1,916 

1,286 

1,373 

1,750 

4,006,794 
3,694,771 
2,123,053 
3,150,357 
3,419,180 
2,108,979 
2, 149,483 
2,959,453 

453,555 
325,752 
225,948 
258,974 
241,814 
182, 195 
172,027 
150,239 

1914 . 

1915 . . . 

1916 . 

1917 . 

1918 . 

1919 . 

1920 . 

The  total  value  of  the  imports  into  Portuguese  East  Africa  in 
1920  amounted  to  $32,821,875,  as  compared  with  $43,678,931  in 
1913,  which  is  a  decrease  of  $10,857,056,  notwithstanding  the  greatly 
increased  prices  prevailing  in  1920.  That  the  United  States  is  not 
an  important  factor  in  the  trade  of  this  market,  and  that  it  has  much 
to  gain  in  this  respect,  is  clearly  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  its  share 
of  the  total  trade  in  1913  and  1920  amounted  to  only  $3,316,146  and 
$333,170,  respectively. 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


5 


The  United  Kingdom  is  the  predominant  factor  in  the  trade  rela¬ 
tions  of  the  Province  of  Mozambique  with  foreign  countries.  A 
large  percentage  of  its  imported  goods  is  also  obtained  from  the 
mother  country  and  the  Union  of  South  Africa.  This  Province 
trades  to  a  smaller  extent  with  other  British  possessions  and  the  United 
States,  France,  Belgium,  and  Italy.  Prior  to  the  war  Germany  held 
a  fair  share  of  the  trade  of  this  market,  and  at  present  an  endeavor 
is  being  made  by  the  manufacturers  of  that  country  to  regain  a 
foothold  in  this  territory. 

The  principal  imports  into  the  Province  of  Mozambique  are  the 
following:  Agricultural  machinery  and  implements;  electrical  ma¬ 
chinery,  equipment,  and  accessories;  rails;  tramway  material;  sugar 
machinery;  hardware;  bolts,  nuts,  and  screws;  wire;  insulating  wire; 
kerosene;  gasoline;  lubricating  oils;  cement;  building  material;  lum¬ 
ber;  paints  and  varnishes;  iron  and  steel  goods;  nails;  shoes  for  oxen; 
chains;  rope;  chinaware;  earthenware;  lamp  ware;  cutlery;  glass  and 
glassware;  paper;  mosquito  netting;  door  knobs  and  locks;  flour; 
lard;  condensed  milk;  canned  goods;  bottled  goods;  beer;  wines; 
spirits;  confectionery;  toilet  articles;  soap;  perfume;  butter;  bags 
and  burlap;  leather  and  leather  goods;  boots  and  shoes;  cotton 
goods;  linen  goods;  woolen  goods;  hosiery;  blankets;  novelties,  etc. 

The  total  value  of  exports  from  the  Province  of  Mozambique,  in¬ 
cluding  the  chartered  companies  of  Mozambique  and  Nyasa,  amounted 
to  $18,396,523  in  1920,  as  compared  with  $5,711,070  in  1913.  The 
principal  exports  were  sugar,  maize,  copra,  mangrove  bark,  and  oil¬ 
seeds. 

DISTRICT  OF  LOURENCO  MARQUES. 

Few  parts  of  the  African  Continent  are  so  full  of  promise  and 
possess  such  potential  sources  of  wealth  as  the  Province  of  Mozam¬ 
bique.  Of  this  vast  territory  Lourenco  Marques  is  the  capital  and 
chief  city.  It  is  beautifully  situated  in  the  extreme  southeastern 
part  of  the  Federal  district  of  the  same  name.  The  town  is  located 
on  the  northern  bank  of  the  magnificient  estuary  formed  by  the 
confluence  of  the  Matolla,  Tembe,  and  Umbeluzi  Rivers.  *It  is  the 
seat  of  the  High  Commissioner  and  the  principal  Government  of¬ 
ficials,  and  from  this  point  the  whole  of  the  Province  under  the  direct 
administration  of  the  State  is  controlled. 

According  to  the  census  of  1912,  the  city  of  Lourenco  Marques 
and  the  neighboring  vicinity  had  a  population  of  26,079,  of  which 
5,560  were  white  people.  The  white  population  is  now  estimated  to 
be  between  6,500  and  7,000.  Most  of  the  inhabitants  owe  allegiance 
to  Portugal,  but  an  increasing  number  are  of  British  descent. 

Situated  only  50  miles  from  the  Transvaal  border  and  within 
striking  distance  of  Swaziland,  Lourenco  Marques  is  the  logical  out¬ 
let  of  one  of  the  richest  sections  of  South  Africa,  the  natural  re¬ 
sources  of  which  have  hardly  been  touched.  It  possesses  one  of  the 
finest  harbors  on  the  African  coast.  Delagoa  Bay  is  26  miles  long 
and  22  miles  broad,  and  into  the  lower  part  flow  the  Matolla,  Tembe, 
Umbeluzi,  and  Maputo  Rivers,  while  into  the  upper  part  the  Inco- 
mati  River  discharges. 

No  other  port  in  the  southern  part  of  Africa  has  such  magnificent 
waterways  for  the  purpose  of  trade  and  pleasure.  In  fact,  the 
geographical  position  of  Lourenco  Marques  would  seem  to  destine  it 

38125°— 23 - 2 


6 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


to  become  a  port  of  growing  importance  as  the  foreign  trade  of  the 
southern  ana  south-central  part  of  Africa  increases.  For  many 
years  this  city  has  been  the  natural  port  of  entry  for  goods  passing 
to  the  Eastern  Transvaal  and  Witwatersrand  district,  and  it  has 
already  developed  into  one  of  the  most  important  coaling  stations  in 
this  part  of  the  African  Continent.  From  Lourenco  Marques  coal  is 
exported  in  many  directions,  and  the  ships  of  ipany  nations  call  at 
Delagoa  Bay  to  discharge  cargo  or  receive  bunker  coal. 

The  following  table  shows  the  shipping  returns  at  the  port  of 
Lourenco  Marques  for  the  calendar  year  1921: 


Nationality. 


American . . 

British . 

Danish . 

Dutch . 

Finnish.... 

French . 

German. . . . 

Greek . 

Italian . 

Japanese... 

Monaco 

Norwegian. 

Peruvian... 

Portuguese. 

Swedish.... 

Total. 


Arrivals. 

Departures. 

Number 

Tons  of 

Number 

Tons  of 

of 

cargo  dis- 

of 

cargo 

vessels. 

charged. 

vessels. 

shipped. 

6 

4,896 

8 

5,035 

388 

127,  730 

384 

842,804 

1 

1,126 

2 

2,341 

20 

3,331 

20 

1,  551 

1 

2,750 

1 

950 

7 

1, 349 

7 

4,860 

19 

5, 809 

18 

13, 362 

1 

1 

7,100 

9 

129 

8 

11,626 

7 

5,555 

12 

48,  804 

3 

60 

3 

420 

6 

4,612 

8 

1 

7,727 

179 

28,263 

183 

47, 932 

11 

16,825 

11 

8,300 

658 

202, 435 

667 

1,002,812 

The  following  table  shows  the  value  in  United  States  currency  of 
the  goods  passing  through  the  Lourenco  Marques  customhouse  in 
1914,  1919,  and  1920: 


Items. 

1914 

1919 

1920 

Importation . 

$4,972,797 

698,049 

4,103,736 

19,335,471 

$14,046,493 

3,657,27U 

8,621,936 

27,952,453 

$15, 820, 187 
5,340,173 
11,849,648 
132,605,094 

Exportation . 

Reexportation . 

Transit . 

Total . . . 

29,110,053 

54,278,153 

165,615, 102 

WHARF  AND  HARBOR  EQUIPMENT. 

In  order  to  provide  for  the  increasing  commerce  which  passes 
through  this  port,  a  modern  wharf  of  ferro-concrete,  costing  in  all 
approximately  £500,000  ($2,433,250  at  $4.8665  to  the  pound  sterling), 
has  been  constructed,  and  plans  are  under  consideration  for  the 
extension  of  the  existing  facilities.  The  wharf  is  a  little  less  than  1 
mile  in  length,  and  is  capable  of  accommodating  12  large  steamers 
at  one  time  along  its  deep-water  front.  In  addition  to  a  transit  shed 
and  a  national  warehouse,  there  are  1 1  commodious  sheds,  measuring 
60  by  30  meters  (1  meter  =  3.28  feet),  for  the  reception  of  inward 
and  outward  cargo.  The  wharf  is  electrically  lighted  and  is  provided 
with  four  railway  tracks. 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


7 


The  port  is  already  equipped  with  15  electric  cranes,  the  largest  of 
which  has  a  capacity  of  60  tons,  and  in  anticipation  of  further  com¬ 
mercial  developments  the  authorities  recently  placed  an  order  for 
8  additional  electric  cranes,  one  of  10  tons  and  the  remainder  of  5 
tons  capacity.  In  1915  a  most  efficient  and  modern  coaling  plant 
was  placed  at  the  western  end  of  the  wharf,  costing  in  all  approxi¬ 
mately  £100,000  ($486,650),  but  as  this  plant,  with  a  capacity  of  600 
tons  per  hour,  has  already  proved  insufficient  to  meet  the  increasing 
demands,  a  new  tipper,  large  storage  bin,  and  conveyor  have  been  con¬ 
structed  and  will  be  installed  at  an  early  date.  The  new  coaling 
appliance,  which  has  a  capacity  of  800  tons  per  hour,  is  really  a  rotary 
tipper  or  car  dumper,  and  it  has  been  constructed  to  receive  the 
largest  coal  truck  in  use  on  the  South  African  railways.  The  cost 
is  approximately  £150,000  ($729,975). 

Tne  following  figures  show  the  trade  in  Transvaal  coal  at  the  port 
of  Lourenco  Marques  during  the  period  from  1914  to  1921,  inclusive: 


Years. 

For  local 
consump¬ 
tion. 

Export  and 
bunkers. 

Total. 

1914 . 

Tons. 
24,844 
30, 557 
43, 980 

Tons. 
575,680 
495, 172 

Tons. 
600, 524 

1915 . 

525,729 
815, 423 

1916 . 

771, 443 

1917 . 

42,753 

812, 094 

854, 847 
787,909 
835,785 

1918 . 

29,729 
26, 803 

758, 180 
808, 982 

1919 . 

1920 . 

21,634 

21,027 

1, 137,000 
1,116,918 

1,158,634 
1, 137,945 

1921 . 

PRINCIPAL  MANUFACTURES— CROPS. 

Manufacturing  is  carried  on  to  a  very  small  extent  in  the  Lourenco 
Marques  district.  It  is,  in  fact,  confined  to  the  production  of  mineral 
water,  beer,  vegetable  oil,  soap,  tobacco,  furniture,  macaroni,  sugar, 
ice,  and  baskets  and  other  articles  made  of  grass.  The  manufacture 
of  furniture  was  started  in  1921,  and  some  progress  is  being  made  in 
this  industry.  The  basis  of  the  furniture  industry  is  African  ma¬ 
hogany,  locally  known  as  chamfuta.  This  wood  possesses  durability 
and  fineness  of  grain  and  is  singularly  free  of  blemishes.  A  plant  is 
also  being  erected  for  the  manufacture  of  cement.  Practically  all 
other  kinds  of  manufactured  goods  are  imported,  the  principal  sources 
being  the  United  Kingdom,  Portugal,  United  States,  and  the  Union 
of  South  Africa. 

The  district  of  Lourenco  Marques  contains  fairly  large  areas  of 
fertile  land,  which  are  highly  suitable  for  the  production  of  agricul¬ 
tural  crops,  the  growing  of  fruit,  and  the  raising  of  cattle,  but  unfortu¬ 
nately  the  farming  industry  is  greatly  underdeveloped.  The  principal 
crops  are  maize,  cane,  and  beans,  but  even  the  cultivation  of  the  for¬ 
mer  product  is  commonly  carried  on  in  a  primitive  manner.  An  en¬ 
deavor  is  being  made,  however,  to  create  a  greater  interest  in  agri¬ 
culture  and  to  raise  the  standard  of  cultivation.  In  order  to  assist 
in  this  respect,  there  is  an  experimental  farm  of  2,223  acres,  with 
200  acres  under  scientific  cultivation,  at  Umbeluzi,  a  short  distance 
from  Lourenco  Marques.  There  is  also  a  nursery  at  Namahacha, 
which  is  within  55  miles  of  this  city. 


8 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


Tropical  fruit  can  be  grown  in  abundance  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Lourenco  Marques.  Pawpaws,  mangoes,  bananas,  lemons,  oranges, 
and  other  fruits  flourish  in  the  district.  A  special  effort  is  being  made 
by  the  Incomati  Estates  (Ltd.)  to  produce  oranges  on  part  of  their 
plantation,  and  already  as  many  as  14,000  trees  have  been  planted. 
The  growth  of  these  trees  is  magnificent,  and,  as  excellent  oranges 
are  being  produced,  it  is  hoped  that  the  successful  efforts  of  this 
company  will  tend  to  encourage  the  investment  of  capital  in  the  citrus 
industry. 

DISTRICT  OF  GAZA. 

Gaza,  lying  north  of  the  district  of  Lourenco  Marques,  also  faces 
the  Indian  Ocean  on  the  east,  but  unfortunately  it  does  not  possess  a 
good  harbor.  From  the  sea  it  extends  to  the  Transvaal  border, 
while  on  the  north  it  reaches  to  the  district  of  Inhambane.  Gaza 
was  created  a  civil  district  in  1918. 

The  district  of  Gaza  is  traversed  by  the  Limpopo  River,  which  is 
navigable  as  far  as  Languene  by  steamers  of  8  feet  draft.  The 
valley  of  this  river  is  generally  reputed  to  be  very  rich,  and  the  soil  is 
regarded  as  highly  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  cane,  rice, 
and  other  agricultural  products.  The  Limpopo  River  has  enormous 
flats,  and  the  land  in  the  vicinity  is  subject  to  floods.  At  the  present 
time  the  Government  has  under  contemplation  an  extensive  scheme 
for  the  protection  of  the  surrounding  country,  which  if  actually  car¬ 
ried  out  would  render  available  a  large  area  of  immensely  rich  land. 

There  are  only  57  miles  of  railway  in  the  district  of  Gaza,  and  this 
consists  of  a  line  running  from  Chai  Chai  to  Chicomo.  Communica¬ 
tion  with  the  interior  is  by  means  of  roads,  but  there  is  no  well-devel¬ 
oped  system  of  highways  in  any  part  of  the  Province.  The  export 
trade  is  carried  by  means  of  coastal  steamers  to  Delagoa  Bay  from 
Chai  Chai,  where  there  is  a  steady  and  increasing  business  with  the 
interior  in  subtropical  products. 

Excellent  fruit  is  grown  in  Gazaland,  and  rice  of  a  good  quality  is 
produced  upon  a  small  scale.  Maize  is  also  cultivated,  but  it  is  not 
grown  in  large  quantities.  A  great  part  of  Gazaland  is  admirably 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  cattle.  The  district  also  contains  a  large 
variety  of  woods,  some  of  which  are  being  utilized.  There  is  prac¬ 
tically  no  manufacturing,  and  very  little  is  known  of  the  mineral 
resources  of  the  district. 

DISTRICT  OF  INHAMBANE. 

The  district  of  Inhambane  has  an  area  of  approximately  33,000 
square  miles.  Its  chief  city,  which  bears  the  same  name,  is  also  the 
principal  port,  and  is  situated  about  15  miles  from  the  bar,  where  there 
are  17  feet  of  water  at  low  tide  and  29  feet  at  high  tide.  The  bay  is 
approximatley  9  by  5  miles  and  is  regarded  as  a  fairly  safe  harbor. 
The  wharf  is  of  ferro-concrete,  measuring  379  feet  long  and  47.5  feet 
wide.  It  is  capable  of  berthing  ocean-going  steamers.  The  total 
tonnage  entering  the  port  of  Inhambane  was  80,702  in  1920,  while 
the  outgoing  tonnage  was  80,758. 

Inhambane  is  essentially  an  agricultural  district,  but,  as  a  rule, 
farming  is  not  carried  on  in  a  scientific  manner.  The  chief  products 
are  cane,  maize,  tobacco,  beans,  peanuts,  castor  beans,  and  coconuts. 
Mafurreira  seed  and  mangrove  bark  are  important  exports,  while 
cashew  nuts  are  largely  used  for  the  manufacture  of  native  drinks. 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


9 


DISTRICT  OF  QUILIMANE. 

Quilimane  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  districts  of  Portuguese 
East  Africa.  It  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  territory  of  the 
Companhia  'de  Mozambique,  on  the  north  by  the  district  of  Mozam¬ 
bique,  on  the  west  by  the  district  of  Tete  and  part  of  Nyasaland, 
and  it  faces  the  Indian  Ocean  on  the  east.  This  district  includes 
the  whole  of  the  lower  Zambezi  River  and  part  of  the  higher  stretches 
of  this  stream.  The  coast  is  low,  a  considerable  part  being  swampy, 
but  the  ground  rises  in  the  interior  until  it  becomes  mountainous. 

The  district  of  Quilimane  has  as  its  capital  a  town  of  the  same 
name,  which  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rio  dos  Bons  Signaes 
(River  of  Good  Signs)  at  a  distance  of  12  miles  from  the  bar  at 
Tangalane.  The  entrance  channels  are  plainly  marked.  The  port 
is  regarded  as  a  safe  one,  and  the  harbor  is  available  for  ocean¬ 
going  vessels,  but  landing  is  effected  by  means  of  launches  and  small 
craft.  The  town  of  Quilimane  has  between  3,000  and  3,500  people, 
the  population  consisting  very  largely  of  natives  (colored  people). 
Chinde  is  the  other  important  port  of  the  district.  It  is  situated 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Zambezi  River,  about  62  miles  south  of  the 
town  of  Quilimane,  with  which  it  competes  strongly.  Chinde  is  the 
distributing  center  for  a  large  volume  of  river  traffic  of  the  interior. 
It  has  a  population  of  about  250  white  people  and  3,000  natives. 
The  port  nas  a  depth  of  17  to  18  feet  at  high  water. 

OPERATION  OF  THE  PRAZO  SYSTEM. 

A  very  large  part  of  the  district  of  Quilimane  is  controlled  by 
agricultural  and  industrial  companies  under  the  “prazo”  system. 
Under  this  system  large  areas  of  land  are  leased  from  the  Govern¬ 
ment  for  comparatively  long  periods  for  a  fixed  annual  rental  based 
on  the  value  of  the  native  poll  tax,  locally  called  “musoco.”  The 
lessee  has  the  right  of  taxation,  but  not  all  land  is  taxed.  In  the 
remaining  zones  anyone  is  permitted  to  trade  or  obtain  concessions 
as  in  the  areas  under  the  direct  administration  of  the  State.  Some 
of  the  obligations  imposed  upon  the  lessee  are  the  maintenance  of 
schools  and  hospitals  and  the  construction  of  roads.  Commerce  is 
completely  free  under  the  prazo  system  as  it  is  worked  to-day. 

The  principal  companies  operating  under  the  prazo  system  are  the 
Companhia  da  Zambesia,  Companhia  do  Boror,  Empreza  Agricola 
do  Lugella,  Companhia  do  Luabo,  Sena  Sugar  Factory,  and  Societe 
du  Madal.  Most  of  these  companies  operate  on  a  large  scale.  The 
Sena  Sugar  Factory  is  the  largest  producer  of  sugar  in  the  Province 
of  Mozambique.  The  Companhia  do  Boror  is  an  important  factor 
in  the  world’s  output  of  coconuts,  and  the  Companhia  da  Zambesia 
is  becoming  a  factor  in  the  production  of  sisal.  The  latter  company 
also  owns  a  large  number  of  steamers  and  boats,  by  which  it  maintains 
a  valuable  river  service  between  Chinde  and  Tete. 

AGRICULTURE  AND  PRINCIPAL  PRODUCTS.  . 

Agriculture  is  the  principal  industry  of  the  district  of  Quilimane. 
There  are  large  areas  of  fertile  land.  The  richness  of  the  soil  is 
attested  by  the  fact  that  nearly  every  tropical  product  can  be  cul¬ 
tivated,  as  well  as  a  few  adapted  to  a  more  temperate  climate.  The 
total  production  of  the  district  is  fairly  large,  considering  the  small- 
neks  of  the  population  and  the  undeveloped  state  of  the  country. 


10 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


It  is  estimated  that  there  are  60,000  hectares  (1  hectare  =  2.47  acres) 
under  cultivation. 

The  chief  crops  are  cane,  maize,  and  sisal.  Cotton  is  being  grown 
upon  an  increasing  scale.  A  fair  quality  of  tobacco  is  produced. 
Coffee  is  grown  with  some  success,  and  a  small  quantity  of  tea  is  now 
being  produced  by  the  Agricola  do  Lugella  (Ltd.).  Kapok  ( Erioden - 
dron  anfractuosum )  is  being  cultivated  in  the  prazos  of  Lomue  and 
Lugella.  Peanuts  grow  especially  well.  They  are  produced  chiefly 
by  natives,  who  consume  them  as  food  and  sell  their  surplus  to  traders 
for  export.  Sesame  is  also  produced.  The  production  of  copra  is 
one  oi  the  most  important  industries  of  the  district.  The  trees 
grow  especially  well,  frequently  attaining  a  height  of  80  to  100  feet. 
Wattle  bark  is  found  in  considerable  quantities  in  the  vicinity  of 
rivers.  Other  agricultural  products  are  beans,  potatoes,  manioc, 
and  rice.  There  are  also  many  kinds  of  tropical  fruits  which  flourish, 
such  as  bananas,  pawpaws,  mangoes,  cashew,  guavas,  pineapples, 
melons,  etc. 

DISTRICT  OF  MOZAMBIQUE. 

The  district  of  Mozambique  is  bordered  on  the  south  by  the 
district  of  Quilimane,  on  the  north  by  the  territory  of  the  Companhia 
do  Nyassa,  on  the  west  by  British  Nyasaland,  and  on  the  east  by  the 
Indian  Ocean.  It  has  a  coast  line  of  about  210  miles,  which  is  broken 
here  and  there  by  bays  and  inlets.  The  territory  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  coast  is  low,  but  the  land  rises  in  the  interior  and  attains  a 
height  of  about  2,000  feet.  This  section  of  the  district  possesses 
a  favorable  climate. 

The  chief  town  and  port  of  the  district  is  also  known  as  Mozambique. 
For  many  years  Mozambique  was  the  capital  of  the  Portuguese 
settlements  in  East  Africa.  Founded  in  1508,  Mozambique  proved 
a  stronghold  to  the  Portuguese  in  the  vicissitudes  befalling  their 
colonization  of  this  section  of  Africa.  The  town  is  situated  on  a 
small  coral  island  3  miles  from  the  coast.  The  harbor  is  protected 
by  two  smaller  islands,  on  one  of  which  is  a  lighthouse.  It  has 
a  population  of  300  white  people  and  about  4,000  natives.  Mozam¬ 
bique  is  an  important  distributing  point  for  the  trade  of  the  interior. 
A  considerable  part  of  the  exports  of  the  smaller  harbors  are  as¬ 
sembled  there.  North  of  the  town  of  Mozambique  is  the  fine  bay 
of  Mosuril,  measuring  about  2\  by  1}  miles,  on  the  shore  of  which 
are  groves  of  coconut  palms,  while  to  the  south  is  situated  Lumbo, 
the  starting  point  of  the  partially  completed  railway  which  is  to 
extend  to  the  Nyasaland  border.  When  completed  and  connected 
with  the  British  railways  this  line  will  afford  the  shortest  route 
from  the  sea  to  one  of  Africa’s  biggest  inland  bodies  of  water,  namely, 
Lake  Nyasa.  Sixty  miles  south  of  Mozambique  is  the  port  of 
Angosta,  which  is  available  for  small  steamers  only. 

Agriculture  is  the  principal  industry  of  the  district.  Although 
there  are  a  few  Europeans  engaged  in  farming,  agriculture  is  carried 
out  very  largely  by  natives.  Natives  do  not  cultivate  large  and 
continuous  areas  of  land,  but  confine  their  cultivation  of  the  soil  to 
small  patches  of  ground,  which  they  work  in  a  primitive  manner. 
Nevertheless,  the  total  production  of  the  district  is  fairly  large, 
for,  in  addition  to  supplying  their  own  wants,  a  surplus  is  usually 
exported. 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


11 


The  chief  crops  are  maize,  peanuts,  sesame,  beans,  and  manioc. 
Coffee  is  grown  upon  a  small  scale,  and  there  is  a  fair  acreage  under 
rice.  There  are  various  kinds  of  native  woods,  some  of  which  are 
useful  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture.  The  most  important  of 
these  woods  are  mangue,  mucruce,  miconha,  msinge,  mbila,  and 
macuna. 

DISTRICT  OF  TETE. 

Tete  is  the  only  district  of  the  Province  of  Mozambique  which 
does  not  touch  the  sea.  It  is  the  most  westerly  of  all  the  districts, 
and  on  account  of  its  isolated  position  it  is  but  slightly  developed. 
Communication  with  the  coast  is  very  slow,  but  it  is  expected  that 
the  new  Trans-Zambesia  Railway  will  have  a  material  influence 
upon  its  future  development. 

A  considerable  part  of  the  district  of  Tete  is  situated  upon  a 
plateau,  reaching  a  height  of  about  4,000  feet  above  sea  level.  In 
many  places  the  district  is  well  wooded.  The  soil  is  fertile.  The 
principal  industry  is  farming  and  cattle  raising.  Tete  is  also  known 
to  be  mineral  bearing.  Gold,  iron,  copper,  graphite,  mica,  and 
coal  have  been  located. 

TERRITORY  OF  THE  COMPANHIA  DO  NYASSA. 

The  territory  of  the  Companhia  do  Nyassa,  sometimes  referred 
to  as  Portuguese  Nyasaland,  is  situated  in  the  extreme  northern 
part  of  Portuguese  East  Africa.  Its  area  is  approximately  73,300 
square  miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  former  German 
colony  of  East  Africa  and  on  the  south  by  the  district  of  Mozambique. 
It  is  under  the  administration  of  the  Companhia  do  Nyassa,  a  char¬ 
tered  company  having  its  headquarters  at  Lisbon.  This  company 
exercises  absolute  rights  over  the  territory  under  its  jurisdiction, 
except  in  regard  to  judicial  and  military  matters.  It  has  an  author¬ 
ized  capital  of  £1,000,000  in  £1  shares,  of  which  436,530  shares 
have  been  issued.  The  seat  of  the  government  is  at  Port  Amelia, 
but  a  few  departments  are  still  maintained  at  Ibo,  the  old  capital. 

Portuguese  Nyasaland  has  an  estimated  population  of  513,172 
people,  of  which  the  white  inhabitants  form  a  very  small  percentage. 
The  natives  are  almost  entirely  Mohammedan  in  religion  and  have 
very  few  of  the  ordinary  wants  of  the  more  civilized  tribes.  All 
of  the  towns  of  the  territory  are  small.  The  chief  trading  centers 
and  the  largest  European  settlements  are  at  Port  Amelia  and  Ibo. 

PRINCIPAL  TOWNS. 

Ibo,  which  is  a  very  old  town,  was  at  one  time  prominent  as  a 
slave  market.  It  is  built  on  an  island  well  covered  with  palms. 
It  has  a  wharf,  but  the  harbor  is  too  shallow  to  accommodate  vessels 
larger  than  small  craft.  The  chief  exports  are  castor  beans,  peanuts, 
sesame,  manioc,  ivory,  wax,  and  a  small  amount  of  rubber. 

Port  Amelia  is  situated  about  50  miles  south  of  Ibo,  overlooking 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  bays  to  be  found  anywhere  on  the 
African  coast.  It  possesses  a  commodious  harbor,  and  is  so  splen¬ 
didly  protected  that  it  is  said  to  compare  favorably  with  the  re¬ 
nowned  bays  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil,  and  Sydney,  Australia.  This 
growing  town  is  the  natural  port  for  an  extensive  interior  which 


12 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


possesses  natural  resources  of  great  richness.  As  the  wealth  of  this 
vast  section  of  central  Africa  becomes  available  to  the  outside  world 
the  importance  of  Port  Amelia  will  rapidly  increase. 

CHIEF  PRODUCTS. 

The  principal  industry  of  the  country  is  farming.  This  is  carried 
on  almost  altogether  by  natives,  who  cultivate  small  patches  of 
ground  here  and  there  in  the  most  primitive  manner.  There  are, 
however,  a  few  white  farmers  in  the  vicinity  of  the  coast.  All  of  the 
big  plantations  are  controlled  by  companies,  some  of  which  have 
immense  holdings.  Labor  is  plentiful  and  extremely  cheap. 

The  chief  agricultural  products  are  maize,  rice,  beans,  manioc, 
cashew  nuts,  calumba  root,  copra,  copal  gum,  mangrove  bark,  oil 
seeds,  tobacco,  wax,  and  cotton.  B6che-de-mer  is  also  exported,  as 
are  ivory,  raw  rubber,  hardwoods,  turtle  shells,  and  hippopotamus 
teeth.  Maize  grows  throughout  the  country,  while  some  of  the 
coconut  plantations  near  the  coast  are  well  developed. 

It  is  generally  understood  that  most  of  the  country  is  unsuited  to 
cattle  raising.  This  is  principally  due  to  the  presence  of  the  tsetse 
fly  ( Glossina  morsitans) .  The  cattle  found  near  the  coast  are  usually 
stunted,  but  this  is  not  the  case  in  the  interior  near  Lake  Nyasa, 
where  fine  herds  are  said  to  exist. 

Very  little  of  a  definite  character  is  known  in  regard  to  the  mineral 
deposits  of  this  section  of  Africa.  Outcrops  of  coal  are  said  to  occur 
on  the  Rovuma  and  Lugenda  Rivers,  and  traces  of  gold  have  been 
found  in  various  places.  There  is,  however,  no  mining  being  carried 
on  at  the  present  time. 

FOREIGN  TRADE. 

The  total  foreign  commerce  of  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  do 
Nyassa  in  1920  amounted  to  3,038,595  escudos,  as  compared  with 
1,113,543  escudos  in  1919,  1,022,063  escudos  in  1918,  982,450  escudos 
in  1917,  380,178  escudos  in  1916,  and  555,259  escudos  in  1915.  For 
customs  purposes  the  gold  escudo  (equal  to  $1.08)  is  taken  as  the 
standard  of  value. 

TERRITORY  OF  THE  COMPANHIA  DE  MOZAMBIQUE. 

The  Companhia  de  Mozambique  holds  charter  rights  over  the  terri¬ 
tory  under  its  jurisdiction  by  virtue  of  the  decrees  of  1891,  1893,  and 
1897.  It  is  registered  in  Lisbon  and  has  an  authorized  capital  of 
£1,500,000,  part  of  which  is  held  by  foreign  individuals  or  concerns. 
The  territory  under  its  control  measures  65,000  square  miles.  It 
extends  from  the  Zambezi  River  on  the  north  to  latitude  22°  south, 
and  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Save  River  and  on  the  west  by 
Rhodesia.  It  faces  the  Indian  Ocean  on  the  east. 

The  climate  is  warm.  A  great  part  of  the  territory  is  low  lying, 
especially  in  the  vicinity  of  the  coast  and  along  the  rivers.  About  100 
miles  inland  from  Beira  the  land  rises  perceptibly.  Toward  the 
western  edge  of  the  territory  the  climate  is  much  more  agreeable. 
The  rainfall  varies  according  to  the  section  of  the  country,  but  in  few 
places  does  it  exceed  38  to  40  inches  per  annum. 

According  to  a  statement  recently  issued,  the  receipts  of  the  Com¬ 
panhia  de  Mozambique  during  1920  were  £336,545  and  expenditures 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


13 


£312,888,  receipts  for  1919  being  £326,565  and  the  expenditures 
£238,201.  The  excess  of  receipts  over  expenditures  for  the  two 
years  was  £112,020. 

MINERAL  PRODUCTION. 

The  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique  is  the  only  section 
in  Portuguese  East  Africa  where  the  mineral  industry  is  developed, 
and  the  mineralized  portion  of  this  section  is  little  known.  The 
principal  mining  area  of  the  territory  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mace- 
quece,  where  gold,  silver,  and  copper  are  produced  on  a  small  scale. 
The  total  capital  invested  m  mining  throughout  this  territory  is  com¬ 
paratively  insignificant. 

Gold  is  also  found  widely  distributed  in  small  streams,  notably  in 
the  Revue  River,  and  to  a  smaller  extent  in  the  Moribane,  Mossurise, 
Maxire,  and  Lucite  Rivers.  Underground  mining  for  gold  is  done 
on  a  very  small  scale  at  the  Frienza  mine,  the  total  production  of 
which  in  1921  amounted  to  only  $886.  The  principal  alluvial  work¬ 
ings  are  on  the  claims  known  as  “Revue  Alluvial, ”  where,  in  1921, 
5,973  ounces  of  gold  were  produced  of  a  value  of  $122,088,  plus 
$27,889  as  premium  on  gold.  The  following  table  shows  the  gold 
production  for  the  five-year  period  1917-1921: 


Gold. 


•  w. '  &  £  \  * 

Years. 

Ounces. 

Value  in 
pounds 
sterling. 

Value  in 
U.  S. 
currency. 

1917 . 

9.286. 45 
5, 591. 67 

£38, 411 
23, 167 
20, 610 
40,031 
30,993 

$186,922 
112  742 

1918 . 

1919 . 

4, 126. 70 
7,605. 35 
6,015.00 

100  298 

1920 . 

194, 810 
150, 827 

1921 . 

The  production  of  silver  is  almost  negligible  at  the  present  time, 
the  total  output  in  1921  having  amounted  to  only  502  ounces,  valued 
at  $326.  Tin  was  discovered  in  this  territory  in  1919,  but  the  mining 
industry  has  not  yet  developed  into  any  importance.  The  only 
producers  of  tin  in  1921  were  the  Manica  Tin  Mines  (Ltd.)  and  the 
Palbromur  Mines  (Ltd.),  Miich  obtained  1,303  and  4,262  kilos, 
respectively.  Copper  is  found  in  the  Macequece  district.  At  the 
present  time  there  are  no  workings  of  importance  other  than  the 
Edmundian  Mine,  where  the  total  production  in  1921  amounted  to 
1,250  tons. 

Coal  is  believed  to  exist  in  considerable  quantity  on  the  Zambezi 
River,  and  for  the  purpose  of  exploiting  these  are^s  the  Zambezi 
Mining  Development  Co.  was  recently  formed.  There  are  known 
coal  measures  at  Sena,  which  is  also  an  important  point  for  the 
production  of  sugar. 


AGRICULTURAL  POSSIBILITIES. 


The  agricultural  possibilities  of  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de 
Mozambique  are  enormous.  The  soil  is  very  fertile,  being  friable 
and  easily  worked.  It  often  runs  to  a  depth  of  20  feet  or  more.  As 
a  rule,  the  drainage  is  natural,  and  in  many  places  it  approaches 
perfection. 


38125°—  23 - 3 


14 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


The  principal  crops  are  sugar  and  maize,  but  other  agricultural 
products  are  gradually  being  cultivated  upon  a  growing  scale.  The 
cultivation  of  sisal  was  started  in  1920.  A  small  acreage  is  now  being 
devoted  to  wheat.  Cotton  is  being  produced  upon  a  small  but  in¬ 
creasing  scale.  This  is  also  true  of  rice.  Peanuts  are  grown  by 
Europeans  as  well  as  by  natives,  and  an  oil  factory  is  being  erected 
to  deal  with  the  surplus  crop,  part  of  which  is  consumed  by  natives. 
Other  crops  are  tobacco,  coffee,  beans,  sunflower  seed,  potatoes,  and 
various  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruit. 

PRINCIPAL  PORT— IMPROVEMENTS  UNDER  WAY. 


Beira,  the  capital  of  the  territory  administered  by  the  Companhia 
de  Mozambique,  is  the  principal  port  and  town.  It  has  a  population 
of  approximately  8,400,  about  one-eighth  of  whom  are  Caucasians. 
Built  on  a  stretch  of  sand,  Beira  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Pungue  River,  and  is  favorably  located  from  the  viewpoint  of  trade 
connections,  having  a  vast  but  undeveloped  interior.  It  is  7,574 
miles  from  Southampton  via  Cape  Town  and  7,678  miles  via  the  Suez 
Canal,  and  528  miles  distant  from Lourenco  Marques.  At  present  Beira 
affords  fair  facilities  for  vessels  calling  at  that  port.  There  is  good 
anchorage  with  5  fathoms  of  water  at  a  distance  of  150  feet  from  the 
shore.  The  harbor  is  protected  by  a  sand  bank,  which  is  exposed  at 
low  tide.  The  channel  is  marked  by  luminous  buoys,  and  vessels 
drawing  24  feet  can  enter  at  high  tide. 

Although  the  extensive  works  necessary  to  place  Beira  in  the  list 
of  fully  equipped  deep-water  ports  along  the  East  African  coast 
have  yet  to  be  initiated,  considerable  improvements  are  under  way. 
The  pier  is  being  extended,  and  the  coordination  of  all  harbor,  customs, 
and  railway  activities,  which  the  port  has  greatly  needed  for  many 
years,  is  gradually  taking  place.  The  coming  of  the  Trans-Zambesia 
Railway  has  demanded  a  complete  alteration  in  the  port  system,  as 
the  inland  traffic  will  be  handled  directly  instead  of  being  carried  by 
rail  to  and  from  the  Zambezi  at  Chindio,  by  river  steamers  to  and 
from  Chinde,  and  by  coasting  vessels  to  and  from  Beira. 

Following  are  the  shipping  returns  at  the  port  of  Beira  for  the  year 
1920: 


Nationality. 


American . 

British . t 

Dutch . 

Italian . . 

Japanese . 

Norwegian  — . . 

Peruvian . 

Portuguese . 

Spanish . 

Swedish . 

Total . 


• 

Arrivals. 

Departures. 

Number 

Tons  of 

Number 

Tons  of 

of 

cargo  dis- 

of 

cargo 

vessels. 

charged. 

vessels. 

shipped. 

2 

512 

2 

470 

265 

82, 830 

263 

140, 614 

1 

1 

4, 500 

14 

486 

14 

1,220 

1 

1 

3,750 

6 

1,537 

5 

4, 173 

1 

1 

350 

100 

2,432 

100 

7, 984 

1 

1 

4,600 

5 

4,921 

4 

1 

396 

92, 718 

392 

167,662 

The  total  value  of  the  foreign  commerce  at  the  port  of  Beira  in  1920 
amounted  to  $44,944,705.  The  items  were:  Imports,  $7,884,456; 
exports,  $4,776,038;  reexports,  $20,339,040;  and  goods  in  transit, 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


15 


$11,995,171.  Of  the  total  value  of  imports  the  United  Kingdom  and 
possessions  furnished  $4,499,507 ;  Portugal  and  possessions, $1,469, 907 ; 
Rhodesia,  $869,311;  Belgium,  $367,913;  Sweden,  $248,330;  and  the 
United  States,  $204,673.  Following  are  the  principal  countries  to 
which  the  exports  of  this  territory  were  forwarded:  Portugal  and 
possessions,  $1,548,718;  United  Kingdom  and  possessions,  $1,282,783; 
Rhodesia,  $1,240,282;  Belgian  Kongo,  $259,725;  and  the  United 
States,  $41,172. 

CATTLE. 


There  are  no  statistics  showing  definitely  the  number  of  cattle  in 
the  whole  of  Portuguese  East  Africa,  but  the  total  number  is  esti¬ 
mated  to  be  in  excess  of  200,000.  The  Lourenco  Marques  district 
contains  approximately  105,000  head  of  cattle;  Gazaland,  46,000; 
Inhambane,  4,000;  Quilimane,  7,500;  and  Tete,  26,000.  Estimates 
for  the  remainder  of  the  Province  are  not  available. 

Portuguese  East  Africa  contains  large  areas  of  land  which  are  suit¬ 
able  for  the  grazing  of  cattle,  but  the  industry  has  been  seriously 
handicapped  by  diseases  and  pests.  There  is  excellent  pasturage  in 
the  districts  of  Lourenco  Marques  and  Gaza,  and  Tete  offers  advan¬ 
tages  in  the  raising  of  cattle.  In  many  places  long  succulent  grass  is 
to  be  found  for  a  great  part  of  the  year.  Some  of  the  districts  are 
well  watered. 

The  conditions  are  favorable  in  the  districts  of  Lourenco  Marques 
and  Gaza  for  the  development  of  the  cattle  industry  upon  a  much 
larger  scale  than  is  the  case  at  present.  Considerable  progress  has 
been  made  in  the  cattle  industry  in  various  parts  of  Portuguese  East 
Africa  in  recent  years  in  spite  of  the  difficulties  pertaining  thereto.  A 
few  companies  and  individuals  have  lately  taken  up  grazing  land  in 
the  more  favorable  sections,  and  it  is  expected  that  an  increasing 
amount  of  money  will  be  invested  in  this  industry. 

The  basis  of  all  local  breeding  is  the  native  cattle,  which  are  small 
but  extremely  hardy  in  type.  An  effort  is  being  made,  however,  to 
improve  the  native  strain  by  interbreeding  with  cattle  imported  from 
the  Transvaal,  and  fairly  good  results  have  been  obtained. 

PESTS  AND  DISEASES  OF  CATTLE. 

The  most  prevalent  and  destructive  diseases  occurring  in  this 
country  are  East  Coast  fever,  which  is  transmitted  by  ticks;  red  water 
fever,  which  is  practically  the  same  as  Texas  fever;  and  a  disease 
caused  by  the  Trypanosoma,  a  living  parasite  running  free  in  the  blood. 

Red  water  fever  exists  throughout  this  district,  but  it  is  by  no 
means  as  destructive  as  one  would  imagine  on  account  of  its  wide 
occurrence.  Practically  all  of  the  animals  of  the  district  get  this 
disease  during  the  first  few  months  of  their  lives,  but  very  few  of  them 
die,  as  it  does  not  usually  kill  animals  6  months  of  age  or  under. 
Once  they  have  had  the  disease,  cattle  obtain  what  is  known  as 
“ passive  immunity.”  For  these  reasons  only  bulls  born  and  reared 
in  South  Africa  can  be  transferred  from  place  to  place  with  any  degree 
of  safety.  All  pure-bred  animals  imported  from  Europe  must  be 
kept  free  of  ticks.  They  are  usually  inclosed  behind  mosquito  netting. 

Anthrax  exists  in  certain  parts  of  Portuguese  East  Africa,  but  it  is 
probably  not  so  prevalent  as  in  the  Transvaal.  Another  disease  is 
that  known  as  gall  sickness,  which  is  caused  by  ticks.  This  disease  is 
not  very  prevalent,  and  only  in  isolated  cases  is  it  commonly  fatal. 


16 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


Dipping. — At  present  there  are  12  public  and  16  private  dipping 
tanks  in  the  district  of  Lourenco  Marques  and  4  in  Gazaland.  Dip¬ 
ping  in  the  public  tanks  is  compulsory  for  cattle  within  a  certain 
radius,  usually  of  about  7\  miles.  Only  Europeans  are  required  to 
pay  for  dipping,  the  cost  of  which  is  2  centavos  (considerably  less  than 
1  cent  in  United  States  currency).  No  charge  is  made  for  cattle 
under  6  months  of  age. 

MAIZE  PRODUCTION. 

Farming  is  the  chief  industry  of  the  people  of  Portuguese  East 
Africa,  and  maize  is  the  principal  agricultural  product.  More  people 
are  engaged  in  the  production  of  maize  than  in  any  other  enterprise, 
and  every  producer  of  agricultural  products  devotes  a  certain  area 
to  maize.  It  is  grown  in  every  district  of  the  Province  of  Mozam¬ 
bique.  Its  cultivation  is  by  no  means  confined  to  European  farms 
in  the  vicinity  of  white  settlements,  but  extends  to  the  most  remote 
places,  where  it  is  produced  solely  by  natives  for  the  purpose  of  con¬ 
sumption.  Maize  forms  the  chief  food  of  over  3,000,000  natives, 
or  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  population  of  the  entire  country. 

CHIEF  PRODUCING  CENTERS. 

The  principal  centers  of  production  are  the  territory  of  the  Com- 

Eanhia  de  Mozambique  and  the  districts  of  Quilimane  and  Mozamb¬ 
ique,  although  a  considerable  acreage  is  devoted  to  the  crop  in  the 
districts  of  Inhambane,  Tete,  and  Gaza,  as  well  as  in  the  territory 
under  the  administration  of  the  Companhia  do  Nyassa.  Farms  are 
widely  scattered.  There  are  no  statistics  of  production,  this  being 
due  partly  to  the  fact  that  maize  is  produced  by  almost  every  native 
family,  for  whom  it  constitutes  a  vital  source  of  food. 

A  large  acreage  is  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  maize  in  the  terri¬ 
tory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique.  While  it  is  grown  in  fairly 
large  quantities  by  natives  chiefly  for  their  own  use,  it  is  cultivated 
principally  by  European  farmers  for  export.  The  farmers  are 
mostly  of  Portuguese  nationality  and  secondarily  of  British  descent, 
although  there  is  a  small  number  of  Greeks  engaged  in  this  occupation. 
The  land  is  rich  and  well  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  maize,  and 
large  crops  are  obtained,  especially  in  the  Chimoio,  Manica,  Neves 
Ferreira,  and  Buzi  districts.  In  the  Chimoio  district  considerable 
areas  are  planted  to  maize,  and  as  many  as  1,000  hectares  (2,471 
acres)  may  be  seen  in  one  unbroken  stretch  of  land.  The  total  pro¬ 
duction  of  maize  in  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique 
in  1920  amounted  to  385,282  bags  (1  bag  equals  203  pounds),  of 
which  254,000  bags  (51,562,000  pounds)  were  exported. 

The  average  production  per  acre  amounts  to  approximately  12 
bags  (2,436  pounds).  There  are,  however,  individual  instances  of  as 
many  as  20  bags  or  more  having  been  produced  on  a  single  acre  of 
ground. 

A  large  percentage  of  the  maize  grown  in  this  territory  by  white 
farmers  is  exported  to  European  markets.  In  order  to  compete  in 
the  continental  markets,  farmers  have  endeavored  to  raise  the  stand¬ 
ard  of  local  maize,  and  the  result  of  these  efforts  has  been  to  improve 
the  quality.  White  maize  is  produced  chiefly,  two  of  the  principal 
varieties  being  Hickory  King  and  Natal  White  Horse. 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


17 


PRINCIPAL  PORT  OF  EXPORT. 

Beira  is  the  principal  port  for  the  exportation  of  Rhodesian  maize, 
as  well  as  that  produced  in  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozam¬ 
bique.  The  export  of  this  product  from  Beira  forms  one  of  the 
chief  businesses  of  that  port,  besides  being  a  large  source  of  revenue 
to  the  Beira  &  Mashonaland  &  Rhodesia  Railway,  the  principal 
artery  of  communication  at  the  present  time  for  a  wide  area.  All 
maize  destined  for  export  to  European  countries  is  properly  graded 
and  certificated  at  the  port  of  Beira,  where  many  ships  call  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  maize  as  cargo.  The  Companhia  de  Mozambique 
has  also  assisted  greatly  in  building  up  the  export  trade  in  maize 
from  this  country  by  providing  a  disinfecting  and  sterilizing  plant, 
the  capacity  of  which  is  from  400  to  500  bags  per  day. 

In  1921  there  were  1,076,753  bags  (218,580,859  pounds)  of  maize 
exported  from  the  port  of  Beira,  of  which  678,877  bags  (137,812,031 
pounds)  were  from  Rhodesia  and  397,876  bags  (80,768,828  pounds) 
from  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique. 

The  following  table  shows  the  export  of  maize  through  Beira  from 
the  two  territories  in  question  for  the  period  from  1917  to  1921, 
inclusive : 


Years. 

Companhia  de  Mozam¬ 
bique. 

Rhodesia. 

Bags. 

Pounds. 

Bags. 

Pounds. 

1917 . 

119,267 
50, 688 
112,008 
254,564 
397, 876 

24, 211,201 
10, 289, 664 
22, 737, 624 
51, 676, 492 
80, 768, 828 

207, 955 
79, 598 
345,653 
340, 601 
678,  877 

42, 214,  865 
16, 158, 394 
70, 167, 559 
69, 142, 003 
137,  812, 031 

1918 . 

1919 . 

1920 . 

1921 . 

Total . 

934,403 

189, 683, 809 

1, 652, 684 

335, 494,  852 

OTHER  MAIZE-GROWING  SECTIONS. 

Maize  is  also  produced  in  the  district  of  Quilimane,  but  it  does 
not  form  such  an  important  crop  as  in  the  territory  of  the  Com¬ 
panhia  de  Mozambique.  It  is  grown  partly  for  export  and  partly 
for  local  consumption.  The  principal  companies  producing  maize 
are  the  Companhia  de  Zambesia,  Companhia  do  Boror,  Empreza  de 
Lugella  (Ltd.),  Sena  Sugar  Estates,  and  the  Societe  du  Madal.  Most 
of  the  large  companies  have  fairly  modern  machinery  for  milling 
cereals. 

In  addition  to  the  districts  of  Mozambique,  Tete,  and  Inhambane, 
maize  is  also  cultivated  in  the  districts  of  Gaza  and  Lourenco  Marques. 
Maize  grows  well  in  Gazaland.  It  is  produced  in  fairly  large  quan¬ 
tities,  but  its  cultivation  has  been  handicapped  to  some  extent  by 
floods.  Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  grow  maize  on  the 
rich  flats  of  the  Limpopo  River,  but  improper  methods  of  cultiva¬ 
tion  have  not  enhanced  the  successful  growth  of  this  plant.  Primi¬ 
tive  methods  of  cultivation  also  exist  to  some  extent  in  the  district 
of  Lourenco  Marques,  where  the  crop  is  grown  largely  by  natives. 
There  are,  however,  a  few  European  farmers  producing  maize  in  the 
Lourenco  Marques  district,  but  on  the  whole  the  quality  of  the  local 
product  is  not  nigh.  The  total  production  of  the  latter  district  does 
not  meet  the  local  demand. 


18 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA, 


The  following  table  shows  the  export  of  maize  from  the  principal 
ports,  excluding  Beira,  in  1913  and  1920  (1  kilo  =*2.2046  pounds): 


Ports. 

• 

1913 

1920 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Lourenco  Marques . . 

307, 172 
5,340 

$9, 974 
85 

5, 124,256 
593, 408 
409, 962 
6,603, 229 

$185, 822 
16,027 
14, 194 
407, 152 

Inhambane . 

Chinde . 

Mozambique . 

4,521, 172 

73,242 

Total . 

4,833,684 

83,301 

12,730,855 

623, 195 

The  export  duty  on  maize  is  2.25  escudos  gold  ($2.44  U.  S.  mint 
par)  per  1,000  kilos. 

COTTON  INDUSTRY. 

Portuguese  East  Africa  contains  large  tracts  of  land  which  are 
highly  suitable  to  the  growing  of  cotton,  and  in  several  sections  con¬ 
ditions  are  admirable  for  its  cultivation  upon  an  extensive  scale. 
In  the  district  of  Lourenco  Marques  there  are  wide  stretches  of  land 
capable  of  producing  excellent  cotton,  but  cotton  growing  has  never 
been  carried  out  in  this  part  of  the  Province  except  for  experimental 
purposes.  The  territory  extending  from  the  Incomati  River,  near 
the  capital  city,  is  reputed  to  be  admirably  adapted  to  the  production 
of  cotton  upon  a  scale  favorably  comparable  to  that  of  some  of  the 
leading  cotton  areas  of  the  United  States.  This  section  of  Portu¬ 
guese  East  Africa  is  very  fertile,  and  it  needs  only  capital  and  strong 
directive  effort  to  turn  it  into  a  highly  productive  district.  It  is 
within  easy  reach  of  the  coast,  where  good  shipping  facilities  are 
available. 

PRINCIPAL  PRODUCING  AREAS. 

In  spite  of  the  favorable  conditions  tending  to  promote  the  de¬ 
velopment  of  a  large  cotton  industry,  the  total  production  of  the 
country  is  very  small.  At  present  the  cultivation  of  cotton  is 
restricted  almost  entirely  to  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de 
Mozambique  and  the  districts  of  Quilimane  and  Tete.  The  territory 
of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique  constitutes  the  chief  cotton 
section  of  the  Province,  and  in  this  area  the  cultivation  of  cotton  is 
practically  confined  to  the  delta  of  the  Zambezi  River.  In  few 
places  are  the  conditions  more  admirable  for  its  favorable  growth. 
The  soil  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  delta  is  comparable  to  that 
of  the  Valley  of  the  Nile,  while  farther  away  there  are  huge  tracts  of 
great  fertility  which  have  not  yet  been  cultivated  even  in  the  most 
primitive  manner. 

Cotton  is  grown  chiefly  by  natives  in  the  territory  of  the  Companhia 
de  Mozambique.  It  is  customary  to  apportion  to  each  available 
family  a  certain  area  within  striking  distance  of  their  kraal.  Cotton¬ 
seed  is  distributed  to  each  planter,  who  is  required  to  clear  the  land, 
sow  the  seed  at  proper  distances,  and  to  cultivate  the  land  during  the 
growth  of  the  crop. 

An  endeavor  is  made  in  this  district  to  plant  cotton  in  accordance 
with  the  height  of  the  land  above  the  river.  On  the  higher  alluvial 
lands  it  is  planted  at  the  end  of  January;  on  the  medium  lands, 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


19 


where  water  remains  for  a  few  weeks,  it  is  usually  planted  between 
the  middle  and  end  of  February;  and  on  the  lowlands,  which  are 
subjected  to  annual  floodings,  cotton  is  generally  planted  about  the 
end  of  March. 

The  subsoil  of  the  cotton  lands  generally  contains  a  fairly  large 
per  cent  of  humus,  and  about  18  inches  from  the  surface  there  often 
exists  a  fair  amount  of  clay.  The  soil  throughout  is  porous,  and  in 
no  part  does  there  exist  an  impervious  stratum  of  clay  which  might 
cause  stagnant  water.  However,  the  soil  and  subsoil  usually  have 
the  power  of  retaining  moisture  during  the  dry  season. 

Cotton  planted  in  January  is  usually  picked  toward  the  end  of 
June  and  the  beginning  of  July.  As  a  rule,  the  cotton  continues  to 
keep  on  bearing,  and  the  picking  season  actually  covers  a  period  of 
four  months.  Fields  are  generally  cleaned  by  the  1st  of  November. 
The  stalks  are  burned,  the  soil  is  properly  hoed  up,  and  the  fields  are 
then  ready  for  the  next  planting. 

Native  women  and  children  are  employed  principally  in  the  picking 
of  cotton,  although  male  labor  is  also  used  to  some  extent.  The 
amount  of  cotton  picked  by  each  person  is  very  small,  ranging  from 
10  to  25  kilos  (22  to  55  pounds)  per  day.  There  is  apparently  very 
little  competitive  effort  on  the  part  of  native  pickers.  Consequently 
the  gathering  of  the  crop  is  very  slow,  notwithstanding  the  amount  of 
effort  actually  expended. 

It  is  customary  to  weigh  cotton  near  the  scene  of  picking.  It  is 
then  transported  by  road  or  river  to  the  central  ginnery,  where  it 
is  ginned  and  baled,  and  then  put  on  river  barges,  from  which  it  is 
transshipped  at  Chinde  and  Beira,  and  thence  forwarded  to  European 
markets. 

The  average  production  per  acre  varies  according  to  the  season  and 
the  care  and  attention  devoted  to  the  crop.  A  fair  average  is  esti¬ 
mated  to  be  250  pounds  of  lint  per  acre. 

PRODUCTION— VARIETIES  GROWN. 

In  1920  the  total  production  of  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de 
Mozambique  amounted  to  1,000  tons  of  ginned  cotton.  The  district 
of  Quilimane,  which  is  also  one  of  the  prominent  cotton-growing  areas, 
is  estimated  to  have  had  7,000  hectares  (17,297  acres)  under  cultiva¬ 
tion  in  1920.  On  the  whole,  the  production  of  cotton  varies  con¬ 
siderably  on  account  of  rainfall. 

The  principal  varieties  of  cotton  are  Allen’s  long  staple,  Nyasaland 
upland,  and  a  local  variety.  Nyasaland  upland  is  really  a  mixture  of 
Allen’s  long  staple  and  Egyptian  cotton.  In  the  early  days  of  cotton 
cultivation  in  Africa  the  first  cotton  grown  in  Nyasaland  was  an 
Egyptian  variety.  To  a  very  large  extent  this  variety  failed,  and 
Allen’s  long  staple  was  introduced  from  the  United  States.  The 
two  varieties  were  allowed  to  grow  more  or  less  side  by  side  in  a 
haphazard  manner,  and  as  a  result  a  cross  fertilization  took  place. 
After  years  a  fixed  type  was  produced,  possessing  some  of  the  qualities 
of  the  Egyptian  cotton  and  some  of  the  excellent  characteristics  of 
Allen’s  long  staple.  The  fixed  type  is  known  as  Nyasaland  upland. 
It  is  recognized  for  its  length  and  strength  of  staple  as  well  as  for  its 
excellent  luster.  Under  normal  conditions  the  price  of  this  cotton 
on  the  Liverpool  market  is  generally  about  a  halfpenny  higher  than 
American  middling. 


20 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


SISAL  INDUSTRY. 

The  cultivation  of  sisal  in  Portuguese  East  Africa  is  of  compara¬ 
tively  recent  date.  Sisal  hemp  ( Agave  rigida  sisdlana )  was  introduced 
into  East  Africa  from  Mexico  in  about  1893.  Almost  from  the  first 
the  conditions  seemed  to  favor  its  growth,  and  now  it  promises  to 
become  one  of  the  most  important  industries  of  the  Province  of 
Mozambique.  The  largest  plantations  in  East  Africa,  if  not  in  the 
whole  world,  are  located  in  the  Portuguese  colony  of  Mozambique. 
A  fairly  large  amount  of  capital  has  already  been  invested  in  this 
industry,  and,  as  a  steady  development  is  gradually  taking  place,  the 
production  of  sisal  should  assume  important  dimensions  m  the  near 
future. 

The  principal  sisal  plantations  are  located  in  the  territory  of  the 
Companhia  de  Mozambique  and  the  district  of  Quilimane.  There  is 
also  land  under  the  cultivation  of  this  product  in  the  Mozambique 
district,  as  well  as  on  Government  territory  near  the  Zambezi  River. 
The  Companhia  da  Zambesia,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  concerns 
operating  in  Portuguese  East  Africa,  has  an  extensive  plantation  in 
the  Quilimane  district,  on  which  there  are  approximately  7,000,000 
plants.  This  company  has  a  fiber  factory  at  Aguas  Quentes,  near 
Vila  Bocage,  in  which  modern  machinery  is  being  employed.  The 
Companhia  do  Boror  also  cultivates  sisal  extensively  in  tbe  Quilimane 
district,  where  it  has  a  factory  for  the  preparation  and  packing  of 
fiber.  Another  concern  which  nas  commenced  to  cultivate  fiber  upon 
a  fairly  large  scale  is  the  Empreza  Agricola  do  Lugella  (Ltd.). 

Sisal  does  not  require  rich  alluvial  soil  in  order  to  obtain  the  best 
results,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  a  fallacy  to  suppose  that  it  can 
be  grown  to  the  best  advantage  on  extremely  poor  soil.  Very  rich 
soil  is  considered,  in  fact,  to  be  detrimental  to  its  proper  growth. 
Excessive  growth  must  always  be  guarded  against.  It  causes  the 
plant  to  “pole”  before  its  allotted  time,  and  “poling”  results  in  the 
loss  of  two  or  three  cuttings.  Good  results  have  been  obtained  in 
the  growing  of  sisal  upon  land  which  had  once  been  covered  with 
trees  or  thick  brush.  The  plant  also  grows  well  on  soil  of  a  sandy 
or  even  stony  nature,  but  it  should  contain  a  fair  percentage  of  humus. 
Drainage  is  usually  regarded  as  an  important  matter.  A  clay  sub¬ 
soil,  which  retains  stagnant  water,  is  said  to  affect  adversely  the 
growth  of  the  plant. 

PROPAGATION  AND  PRODUCTION  OF  SISAL. 

Sisal  is  propagated  from  bulbils  and  suckers.  Bulbils  form  on  the 
flower  pole.  Sometimes  there  are  as  many  as  2,000  to  one  plant. 
They  represent  a  young  plant  and  can  be  placed  in  the  nursery, 
usually  about  18  inches  apart,  as  soon  as  they  have  fallen  from  the 
flower  head.  They  attain  sufficient  growth  in  about  eight  months 
to  permit  them  to  be  set  in  the  plantation.  Bulbils  can  always  be 
relied  upon  to  grow  true  to  type.  Their  growth  is  regular,  and  all 
plants  “pole”  at  the  proper  time,  which  is  usually  in  the  seventh 
year.  On  the  other  hand,  suckers  spring  up  with  great  irregularity. 
Suckers  are  really  young  plants  springing  up  from  the  roots  of  the 
parent  plant.  Even  around  the  same  plants  suckers  of  every  ^ize 
and  condition  can  be  found.  Plants  produced  from  suckers  also 
“pole”  irregularly. 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


21 


On  good  ground  there  are  approximately  680  plants  to  the  acre, 
while  on  land  of  a  poor  grade  tne  number  is  about  1,200  to  the  acre. 
When  mature  the  leaves  should  yield,  on  an  average,  from  2j-  to  4 
per  cent  of  fiber.  One  producer  in  this  district  states  that  a  con¬ 
servative  estimate  would  be  3.5  per  cent  of  fiber,  especially  if  modern 
machinery  be  employed.  The  following  is  a  rough  estimate  of  pro¬ 
duction  furnished  by  Mr.  Heron,  formerly  director  of  agriculture  for 
the  Companhia  de  Mozambique: 

The  first  cutting  yields  2.5  tons  of  fiber  per  hectare;  the  second 
cutting,  2  tons;  the  third  cutting,  1.5  tons;  and  the  fourth  cutting, 
1  ton  of  fiber  per  hectare,  a  hectare  being  the  equivalent  of  2.471 
acres. 

The  fiber  is  extracted  by  means  of  decorticating  machinery.  The 
capacity  of  the  machines  used  in  this  country  is  usually  about  3  tons 
of  fiber  per  10  hours.  The  first  machine  used  in  the  Province  of 
Mozambique  was  the  Krupp’s  Corona,  but  it  has  now  fallen  into 
disuse,  owing  to  the  great  amount  of  fiber  lost  in  extraction.  A 
machine  manufacturea  by  a  firm  in  Lincoln,  England,  then  came 
into  use.  The  Robey  machine  has  since  proved  very  popular.  The 
extraction  of  fiber  involves  a  considerable  expenditure  on  machinery, 
and  it  also  necessitates  the  use  of  a  great  quantity  of  water. 

The  cost  of  production  differs  in  each  district  of  Portuguese  East 
Africa,  owing  to  economic  conditions.  A  conservative  estimate  can 
not  be  given  at  the  present  time.  It  is,  however,  lower  than  in 
British  Africa,  where  a  considerable  quantity  of  fiber  is  produced. 

Sisal  is  exported  almost  entirely  to  the  United  Kingdom,  Spain, 
Portugal,  and  France.  The  following  figures  show  the  exports  from 
the  principal  ports  in  1920  (1  kilo  =  2.2046  pounds): 


Ports. 

1920 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Lourenco  Marques . 

250, 500 
916,700 
724,936 

$48,903 

199,714 

117,365 

Chinde . *. . 

Quilimane . 

Total . 

1, 892, 136 

365,982 

An  export  duty  of  2  per  cent  ad  valorem  is  imposed  on  sisal  hemp. 

SUGAR. 

The  cultivation  of  sugar  cane  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  important 
industries  of  Portuguese  East  Africa.  Cane  was  found  growing  wild 
in  Manikaland  many  years  ago,  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  it  was 
cultivated  there  at  the  time  the  ancient  mines  were  being  worked. 
The  industry  progressed  very  slowly  until  within  recent  years,  but 
is  now  firmly  established  and  promises  to  become  an  increasing  factor 
in  the  economic  development  of  the  country. 

In  the  Province  of  Mozambique  a  large  number  of  acres  are  under 
cultivation,  and  a  still  greater  acreage  is  held  in  reserve  for  future 
development.  The  principal  centers  of  production  are  along  the 
Zambezi  River,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Buzi  River,  in  the  vicinity 


22 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AERICA. 


of  Beira,  and  in  the  districts  of  Inhambane  and  Ouilimane.  Cane  is 
also  grown  to  a  smaller  extent  in  Qazaland  and  in  the  district  of 
Lourenco  Marques,  where  the  industry  presents  great  hopes  of  devel¬ 
opment,  owing  to  the  increasing  amount  of  capital  that  is  being 
invested  in  this  section,  which  is  favorably  situated  for  a  large  export 
trade. 

VARIETIES  OF  CANE  GROWN. 

There  are  between  30  and  40  varieties  of  cane  under  cultivation 
throughout  Portuguese  East  Africa,  but  the  Yuba  predominates. 
Many  different  varieties  of  soft  cane,  especially  the  better  grades  of 
South  and  Central  America  and  the  West  Indies,  have  been  experi¬ 
mented  with  from  time  to  time.  Results  over  a  long  period  of  time 
have  shown,  however,  that  the  Yuba  is  the  cane  best  adapted  to  the 
conditions  existing  in  this  country.  In  fact,  this  cane  is  universally 
employed  in  planting  along  the  East  African  coast.  It  has  been 
known  to  give  as  many  as  12  ratoons  and  still  be  capable  of  further 
production. 

Yuba  is  one  of  the  hardiest  varieties  of  cane  known.  It  is  strong, 
and  consequently  will  withstand  a  certain  amount  of  flooding.  It 
stands  erect  and  is  fairly  easy  to  harvest  in  contrast  to  soft  cane, 
which  readily  falls  down  when  subjected  to  floods  or  winds.  Being 
of  a  hardy  type,  Yuba  does  not  require  as  much  water  as  many  other 
canes.  On  the  other  hand,  it  contains  a  large  amount  of  fiber, 
which  when  burned  leaves  a  comparatively  large  amount  of  ash. 

Owing  to  climatic  conditions  favoring  its  growth,  cane  may  be  cut 
each  year.  Three  or  more  cuttings  are  nearly  always  obtained  from 
Yuba  cane.  It  generally  requires  about  12  tons  of  cane  to  make  a  ton 
of  sugar.  The  yield  of  cane  per  acre  in  this  territory  averages  33  to 
40  tons. 

ANNUAL  PRODUCTION,  PROVINCE  OF  MOZAMBIQUE. 

The  annual  production  of  sugar  in  the  Province  of  Mozambique  is 
estimated  to  be  approximately  50,000  tons.  Owing  to  the  vagaries 
of  a  tropical  climate  the  crop  time  varies.  Along  the  Zambezi  it 
occurs  from  May  to  December,  while  in  Inhambane,  a  few  hundred 
miles  south,  it  loses  a  month  at  each  end. 

Sugar  is  produced  principally  by  large  companies  owning  or  hold¬ 
ing  concessions  over  a  considerable  area  of  land.  The  chief  produc¬ 
ing  concerns  in  the  Province  of  Mozambique  at  present  are  the  Sena 
Sugar  Estates,  Companhia  Colonial  do  Buzi,  Mutamba  Sugar  Estates, 
Incomati  Sugar  Estates,  and  the  Movene  Sugar  Estates. 

SENA  SUGAR  ESTATES. 

Cane  and  maize  are  the  chief  products  grown  in  the  territory  of  the 
Companhia  de  Mozambique,  but  cane  production  is  the  more  highly 
centralized  industry.  The  sugar  interests  of  this  section  of  the  coun¬ 
try  are  controlled  very  largely  by  a  few  concerns.  One  of  the  largest 
concerns  operating  in  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique 
is  Hornung  &  Co.,  of  London  and  Lisbon.  This  concern,  which  is 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Sena  Sugar  Factory  (Ltd.), 
operates  upon  a  very  large  scale.  It  has  two  large  plantations  at 
Marromeu  and  Vila  Fontes  (Caia)  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Zam¬ 
bezi  River,  in  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique,  and 
another  plantation  of  considerable  size  at  Mopea  on  the  northern 


V 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


23 


bank  of  the  Zambezi  River,  in  territory  belonging  to  the  Portuguese 
Government. 

This  company  has  approximately  7,000  acres  of  land  under  sugar¬ 
cane  cultivation  at  Marromeu,  which  is  on  the  Zambezi  River  about 
50  miles  from  the  port  of  Chinde.  The  soil  is  rich  alluvial,  and, 
as  the  coastal  rains  provide  sufficient  moisture,  irrigation  is  not 
required  to  any  extent.  The  plantation  is  intersected  by  a  compara¬ 
tively  large  mileage  of  narrow-gauge  railway.  It  is  equipped  with 
modem  machinery  and  accessories.  There  is  also  an  up-to-date 
Norit  refinery,  which  is  capable  of  producing  the  finest  white  crystals. 
The  total  production  of  sugar  on  this  plantation  amounted  to  15,915 
tons  in  1921. 

The  plantation  at  Vila  Fontes  (Caia)  is  also  situated  on  the  Zambezi 
River.  It  is  approximately  100  miles  from  Chinde  by  river.  There 
are  between  8,000  and  9,000  acres  under  cultivation,  a  great  part 
of  which  is  irrigated  by  pumping  from  the  river.  The  plantation  has 
75  miles  of  narrow-gauge  railway  and  a  modern  factory.  The  total 
production  of  sugar  at  Vila  Fontes  in  1921  amounted  to  10,567  tons. 

The  plantation  at  Mopea,  which  is  approximately  75  miles  from 
Chinde  by  water,  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  Portuguese  East  Africa.  In 
addition  to  about  25  miles  of  narrow-gauge  railway  there  is  a  factory 
for  the  grinding  of  cane  and  the  production  of  sugar.  The  total 
output  in  1921  amounted  to  12,193  tons. 

The  soil  is  extremely  rich  alluvial.  This  whole  area  is  subject  to 
backwater  floods,  which  occur  about  once  in  every  five  or  six  years. 
As  a  rule,  the  backwater  floods  do  not  damage  the  crops  to  any  great 
extent,  as  the  water  remains  only  a  few  days.  Each  time  very  rich 
alluvial  silt  is  deposited. 

The  vSena  Sugar  Factory  (Ltd.)  employs  approximately  120  white 
men  and  12,000  natives  on  its  three  plantations.  Natives  are  paid 
10  to  15  shillings  per  month. 

The  houses  of  the  manager  and  white  employees  are  of  brick  and 
splendidly  built.  The  offices  and  houses  are  inclosed  by  mosquito- 
proof  netting  and  are  equipped  with  electric  lights  and  fans.  Each 
plantation  has  its  own  club,  which  includes  music,  reading,  billiard, 
and  social  rooms.  Adequate  tennis  and  recreation  grounds  are  also 
provided,  as  well  as  a  storage  plant  and  repair  shops,  which  are 
complete  in  every  respect. 

SUGAR  INTERESTS  OF  THE  COMPANHIA  COLONIAL  DO  BUZI. 

The  only  other  sugar  interests  of  importance  in  the  territory  of  the 
Companhia  de  Mozambique  are  owned  by  the  Companhia  Colonial 
do  Buzi.  This  company  nas  two  plantations  opposite  each  other  on 
the  Buzi  River,  at  a  distance  of  15  miles  from  the  growing  port  of 
Beira.  The  two  plantations  were  formerly  owned  separately,  but 
were  amalgamated  in  1920  through  the  purchase  of  the  lllovo  Estates 
by  the  Companhia  Colonial  do  Buzi,  a  Portuguese  concern,  for 
approximately  £420,000  ($2,043,930). 

A  large  amount  of  money  has  been  spent  on  the  lllovo  Estates.  A 
modern  mill,  capable  of  producing  about  12,000  tons  of  sugar  per 
annum,  is  located  on  this  plantation.  There  are  between  3,000  and 
4,000  acres  of  rich  alluvial  land  under  cultivation,  and  a  large  acreage 
is  being  held  in  reserve  for  future  development.  Part  of  the  land  of 
this  estate  is  swampy  during  the  rainy  season. 


24 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


The  factory  on  the  other  plantation  of  the  Companhia  Colonial  do 
Buzi  is  not  of  modern  type,  and  therefore  the  crushing  of  cane  is  done 
on  the  Illovo  Estates.  The  cost  of  production  is  comparatively  high, 
owing  to  the  triple  handling  of  cane  from  one  side  of  the  river  to  the 
other,  and  also  on  account  of  labor  conditions. 

OTHER  SUGAR  COMPANIES. 

Sugar  is  also  produced  in  the  Inhambane  district,  where  the  indus¬ 
try  is  represented  chiefly  by  the  Mutamba  Sugar  Estates.  The  total 
production  of  this  plantation  in  1921  amounted  to  over  2,000  tons  of 
sugar.  Preparations  are  also  being  made  for  the  erection  of  a  sugar 
mill  in  the  fertile  Inhassune  Valley. 

The  cultivation  of  sugar  cane  offers  great  possibilities  in  the  Lourenco 
Marques  district  by  reason  of  favorable  climatic  and  geographical 
conditions.  Not  only  does  this  district  offer  unique  shipping  facilities 
to  Europe  and  India,  but  it  borders  the  eastern  section  of  the  Trans¬ 
vaal,  which  has  been  a  fairly  large  consumer  of  Mozambique  sugar  in 
the  past.  A  market  for  sugar  exists,  therefore,  right  at  the  door  of 
this  district.  The  terms  of  the  Mozambique  convention  provide  for 
the  free  entry  of  the  products  of  tlie  soil  into  the  territory  of  the 
contracting  parties,  namely,  the  Province  of  Mozambique  and  the 
Transvaal  Province,  and  if  the  present  provisions  are  readopted  at 
the  forthcoming  convention  between  the  two  countries  this  industry 
should  be  greatly  stimulated. 

There  are  only  two  companies  cultivating  sugar  in  the  Lourenco 
Marques  district,  namely,  the  Incomati  Estates  (Ltd.)  and  the 
Movene  Sugar  Estates.  These  companies  are  financed  by  British 
capital  and  are  managed  by  British  subjects.  The  plantations  of  both 
companies  are  in  the  process  of  development,  and  within  a  reasonable 
time  they  should  become  important  factors  in  the  sugar  industry  of 
this  country. 

There  are  125,000  acres  embraced  in  the  Movene  Sugar  Estates. 
This  huge  tract  of  land  is  situated  within  35  miles  of  the  city  of 
Lourenco  Marques.  A  branch  line  of  the  Caminho  de  Ferro  de  Lou¬ 
renco  Marques  (Lourenco  Marques  Railway)  runs  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  property.  At  present  there  are  only  1,000  acres  under 
the  cultivation  of  cane,  but  the  plantation  is  capable  of  immense 
development.  The  existing  plant,  which  was  erected  in  1920,  is  not 
a  modern  one,  and  it  is  the  intention  of  the  company  to  replace  it  as 
soon  as  circumstances  warrant  this  step.  The  total  production  of 
sugar  in  1921  amounted  to  600  tons. 

The  Incomati  Estates  (Ltd.)  are  situated  near  Xinavane,  at  a 
distance  of  110  kilometers  (68.2  miles)  from  the  city  of  Lourenco 
Marques  by  rail.  The  plantation  embraces  50,000  acres.  There 
are  3,000  acres  under  the  cultivation  of  cane,  and  it  is  the  intention  of 
the  company  to  increase  this  area  to  7,500  acres.  The  plantation 
contains  rich  alluvial  soil  of  considerable  depth,  but  certain  parts  of 
it  are  subject  to  floods.  To  protect  the  land  from  floods,  works  are 
in  process  of  construction  that  will  cost  approximately  £100,000 
($486,650).  This  will  allow  a  larger  area  to  be  devoted  to  the  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  sugar,  maize,  or  other  agricultural  crops  and  of  citrus  fruit. 
The  total  production  of  sugar  on  this  estate  amounted  to  about 
1,500  tons  in  1921. 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


25 


The  aforementioned  sugar  companies  constitute  one  of  the  most 
vital  factors  in  the  trade  and  commerce  of  Portuguese  East  Africa. 
They  are  not  only  large  producers  of  raw  material  and  refined  goods, 
but  they  create  one  of  the  largest  demands  existing  in  the  whole  of 
Portuguese  East  Africa  for  manufactured  goods  from  foreign  coun¬ 
tries.  Besides  directing  to  a  great  extent  the  purchases  of  a  large 
number  of  natives  by  furnishing  them  with  articles  demanded  by 
them,  they  are  purchasers  in  big  quantities  of  material  required  in 
running  the  factories  and  plantations.  Some  of  the  imports  by  the 
sugar  companies  are  as  follows:  Sugar-mill  and  sugar-harvesting 
machinery;  implements;  agricultural  machinery  and  tools;  light  rails; 
trucks;  hardware;  bolts,  screws,  and  nuts;  electrical  material  and 
equipment;  insulated  wire;  lamps  and  lamp  ware;  kerosene  and  gaso¬ 
line;  chemicals;  drugs  and  medicines;  engines;  material  for  boats  and 
tugs;  and  paint  and  varnish. 

OTHER  NATIVE  PRODUCTS. 

MANGROVE  BARK. 

Mangrove  bark  is  found  in  various  parts  of  Portuguese  East  Africa. 
In  many  of  the  bays  and  inlets  red  and  white  mangrove  bark  exists 
in  considerable  quantities.  It  is  obtained  principally  in  the  districts 
of  Quilimane,  Inhambane,  and  Mozambique,  as  well  as  in  the  territory 
of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique. 

At  present  Beira,  Chinde,  and  Quilimane  are  the  chief  ports  from 
which  mangrove  bark  is  exported.  Beira  is  the  main  distributing 
center  of  the  industry,  as  it  is  the  seaport  of  the  territory  of  the 
Companhia  de  Mozambique,  which  is  gradually  regaining  its  pre-war 
importance  as  a  source  of  mangrove  bark.  In  this  territory  there  are 
two  companies  working  under  concessions.  One  of  these  is  the  Com¬ 
panhia  Agricola  da  Beira.  This  concern  has  a  plant  on  the  Savanne 
River,  approximately  25  miles  from  the  port  of  Beira,  which  is  valued 
at  £40,000  ($194,660  at  normal  rate  of  exchange).  This  plant  is 
capable  of  treating  40  tons  of  green  bark  per  day.  The  total  amount 
of  bark  collected  and  in  stock  at  the  end  of  1920  amounted  to  3,619 
tons,  but  unfortunately  a  great  part  of  this  stock  was  recently  de¬ 
stroyed  by  fire. 

Mangrove  bark  is  collected  by  natives,  who  are  paid  from  10  to 
20  shillings  ($2.43  to  $4.86)  per  month.  The  bark  is  usually  stripped 
by  hand  from  the  trees.  It  is  placed  in  piles  near  the  scene  of  collec¬ 
tion  and  then  transferred  to  the  river  shore,  from  which  it  is  trans¬ 
ported  to  the  factory  or  port  of  shipment. 

Trade  in  mangrove  bark. — Prior  to  the  European  War  the  trade  in 
mangrove  bark  was  largely  in  the  hands  of  the  Germans.  At  the 
ports  of  Beira,  Mozambique,  Quilimane,  Arfgosta,  and  Bartholomeu 
Dias  bark  was  collected  chiefly  for  shipment  to  Hamburg,  to  be  used 
in  German  tanneries,  and  it  was  difficult  for  American  firms  to  obtain 
direct  shipments  to  the  United  States.  From  Hamburg  a  small  part 
of  the  mangrove  bark  of  this  country  was  reexported  to  the  United 
States.  In  1920  there  was  a  decided  turn  in  this  trade  in  favor  of  the 
United  States,  which  became  the  most  important  consumer  of  bark 
from  Portuguese  East  Africa.  In  that  year  there  were  shipped  to 
the  United  States,  chiefly  from  the  port  of  Beira,  5,550  tons  oi  man¬ 
grove  bark,  valued  at  £106,994  ($520,686  at  normal  rate  of  exchange). 


26 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


Mangrove  bark  to  the  value  of  $14,712  was  also  forwarded  to  the 
United  States  from  the  port  of  Mozambique  in  1920.  Statistics  for 
1921  are  not  yet  available. 

There  is  an  export  duty  on  mangrove  bark  amounting  to  1  escudo 
gold  ($1.08)  per  1,000  kilos. 

TOBACCO. 

Tobacco  is  grown  in  various  parts  of  the  Province  of  Mozambique, 
but  in  no  part  is  it  extensively  cultivated.  It  is  produced  upon  a 
small  scale  in  Gazaland,  Inhambane,  and  the  territory  of  the  Com- 
panhia  de  Mozambique.  It  grows  well  in  Tete,  and  it  is  also  culti-  ' 
vated  in  the  region  south  of  Lake  Nyasa.  One  of  the  principal 
producing  districts  is  Quilimane.  The  chief  varieties  are  Gold 
Leaf,  Warne,  Conqueror,  Oronoco,  Virginian,  and  a  Turkish  type. 

The  manufacture  of  tobacco  is  very  largely  confined  to  the  city 
of  Lourenco  Marques,  although  there  are  several  small  factories 
scattered  in  the  other  districts.  There  are  three  companies  manu¬ 
facturing  tobacco  in  Lourenco  Marques,  namely,  Sociedade  Colonial 
de  Tabacos,  Ltd.  (Fabrica  Nacional);  M.  E.  George  &  Co.,  Ltd. 
(Empreza  dos  Tabacos) ;  and  Eduardo  David  e  Silva.  The  two 
concerns  first  mentioned  manufacture  cigarettes  of  good  quality, 
which  are  consumed  very  largely  in  the  town.  They  are  also  exported 
to  the  Union  of  South  Africa.  The  last-named  factory  produces 
cigarettes  primarily  for  export  to  the  Portuguese  West  African  coast. 
These  factories  utilize  local  leaf  almost  entirely.  In  1920,  315,848 
kilos  of  tobacco,  valued  at  £157,924  ($768,537  at  normal  exchange 
rate),  were  manufactured  in  Lourenco  Marques. 

The  following  figures  show  the  value  of  the  tobacco  exported  in 
1913  and  1920: 


Ports. 

1913 

1920 

Lourenco  Marques . 

$10, 297 
995 
3,888 

$337, 741 
301 
24, 512 
590 
1,486 
15, 818 

Quilimane . 

Mozambique . 

Porto  Amelia . 

Total . 

15, 180 

380, 448 

The  following  table  gives  the  value  of  the  imports  of  tobacco 
at  the  principal  ports : 


Ports. 

1913 

1920 

Lourenco  Marques . . 

$110,927 
32, 228 
52, 153 

$376, 599 
72,091 
54, 499 

Other  ports . 

Total . 

195, 308 

503, 189 

COFFEE. 

Coffee  is  grown  in  every  district  of  the  Province  of  Mozambique, 
with  the  exception  of  Lourenco  Marques,  Gaza,  and  Tete.  There 
is,  however,  very  little  capital  invested  in  the  industry,  which, 
in  the  aggregate,  is  small.  There  are  no  big  plantations,  and  coffee 
is,  in  fact,  produced  principally  with  a  view  of  supplying  the  local 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


27 


demand.  It  is  nearly  always  grown  in  conjunction  with  other  crops, 
few  planters  attempting  to  cultivate  it  mpon  modern  scientific  plans. 

As  a  rule,  the  quality  of  the  coffee  is  fairly  good.  In  the  Quilimane 
district  encouraging  results  have  been  obtained,  especially  in  the 
subdistricts  of  Maganja  da  Costa  and  t41to  Molocue.  Coffee  is  also 
a  common  product  of  cultivation  in  the  Mozambique  district,  and 
is  grown  upon  a  small  scale  in  Inhambane,  as  well  as  in  the  terri¬ 
tory  of  the  Companhia  do  Nyassa.  In  1913  the  Companhia  de 
Mozambique  started  a  series  of  experiments  in  the  cultivation  of 
coffee  near  Macequece  at  a  height  of  about  2,000  feet  above  sea  level. 
From  these  experiments  a  bean  of  excellent  flavor  was  obtained,  and 
now  many  farmers  have  added  coffee  to  their  list  of  agricultural 
produce. 

Although  coffee  was  introduced  into  Portuguese  East  Africa 
many  years  ago,  evidently  by  Arab  or  Indian  traders,  its  culti¬ 
vation  is  by  no  means  sufficiently  extensive  to  meet  the  demands  of 
this  country.  In  1920  there  were  imported  66,687  kilos  of  coffee 
beans,  valued  at  $133,322,  as  against  43,068  kilos,  costing  $18,538, 
in  1913. 

The  following  figures  show  the  quantity  and  value  of  imports 
of  coffee  at  the  principal  ports,  exclusive  of  Beira: 


Ports. 

• 

1913 

1920 

Kilos. 

Value 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Lourenco  Marques . 

36, 101 
778 
2,045 
1,502 
2, 642 

$15, 143 
400 
1, 185 
724 
1,  0.86 

61, 512 

$122, 032 

Inhambane . 

Chinde . 

2, 959 
662 
1,554 

7,679 

1,523 

2,088 

Quilimane . 

Mozambique . 

Total . 

43,  068 

18,538 

66, 687 

133, 322 

TEA. 

Tea  is  produced  upon  a  very  small  scale  in  Portuguese  East  Africa. 
There  is  only  one  plantation  of  any  importance  in  the  Province.  This 
plantation  is  owned  by  the  Empreza  Agricola  do  Lugella,  and  is 
situated  in  the  Prazo  Milonge  (Vila  Masseti),  in  the  district  of 
Quilimane.  It  is  approximately  180  hectares  (445  acres)  in  extent. 

Tea  is  obtained  almost  entirely  from  British  possessions,  chiefly 
Ceylon,  India,  and  the  Union  of  South  Africa.  Only  small  quantities 
are  imported  from  China  and  Japan.  The  following  figures  show  the 
quantities  and  values  of  imports  of  tea  at  the  principal  ports  in  1913 
and  1920: 


Ports. 

1913 

1920 

Kilos. 

Value 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Lourenco  Marques . 

22, 427 
4,  457 
2,678 
3, 455 
6,411 

$14, 415 
3, 008 
3,004 
2,499 
3, 931 

20, 683 
319 
1,686 
3,807 
9, 843 

$80, 165 
2,091 
5,569 
13, 465 
33, 683 

Inhambane . 

Chinde . 

Quilimane . 

Mozambique . 

Total . 

39,  428 

26, 857 

36, 338 

134,973 

28 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


RICE. 

Rice  is  grown  in  the  districts  of  Gaza,  Quilimane,  Tete,  and 
Mozambique,  as  well  as  in  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozam¬ 
bique.  The  production  of  rice  is  upon  a  larger  scale  in  Quilimane 
and  Mozambique  than  elsewhere  in  the  Province,  but  the  quality  is 
not  highly  regarded,  and  consequently  the  local  rice  is  consumed  very 
largely  by  natives.  On  the  other  hand,  a  very  fair  grade  of  rice  is 
produced  in  Gazaland,  but  the  quantity  hardly  suffices  to  meet  the 
local  demand.  In  the  territory  of  the  Companhia  de  Mozambique 
an  increasing  acreage  is  being  put  under  the  cultivation  of  rice,  and 
a  considerable  increase  in  production  is  expected  in  the  near  future. 
There  are  several  mills  in  this  territory,  as  well  as  in  the  districts  of 
Mozambique  and  Gaza.  The  Companhia  de  Mozambique  recently 
installed  additional  machinery  in  one  of  its  mills. 

The  local  production  of  rice  by  no  means  meets  the  demand.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  important  diets  of  the  people  of  East  Africa.  Besides 
being  eaten  to  a  large  extent  by  white  people,  it  is  also  an  important 
food  for  natives.  The  chief  sources  of  supply  are  India  and  Por¬ 
tuguese  possessions. 

The  following  table  shows  the  imports  of  rice  in  1913  and  1920  at 
the  ports  mentioned: 


Ports. 

1913 

1920 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Lourenco  Marques . 

3, 419, 928 
313, 752 
255,426 
564, 211 
532,229 

$221, 732 
23, 521 
17,335 
34,662 
39,486 

632,350 
19,491 
27,017 
6,590 
34, 620 

$463, 785 
7,646 
25,497 
4,348 
34,057 

Inhambane . 

Ohindft . 

Quilimane . 

Mozambique . . . . . . 

Total . 

5,085,546 

336,736 

720,068 

535,333 

The  increase  in  local  production,  and  especially  the  material  rise  in 
the  price  of  rice,  is  responsible  for  the  decrease  in  the  imports  of  1920 
as  compared  with  those  of  1913.  The  consumption  of  rice  fell  off  con¬ 
siderably,  owing  to  the  necessity  of  the  people  to  restrict  their  pur¬ 
chases  of  products  for  which  a  substitute  could  readily  be  found.  In 
the  case  of  rice  the  substitute  was  principally  maize. 

RUBBER. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  in  recent  years  to  exploit  the  rubber 
vines  which  undoubtedly  exist  in  various  parts  of  Mozambique,  and 
more  than  one  endeavor  was  made  to  establish  plantations  with  a 
view  to  producing  rubber  upon  a  commercial  basis,  but  practically  all 
of  them  have  ended  in  complete  disaster,  and  not  one  has  been  notably 
successful. 

These  endeavors  were  not  confined  to  any  one  section,  but  ranged 
from  the  districts  of  Gaza  and  Inhambane  to  the  territory  of  the 
Companhia  de  Mozambique,  and  even  beyond  Angosta.  For  a  time 
it  seemed  as  if  the  first  efforts  of  planters  would  be  successful,  but 
after  a  promising  growth  of  two  or  three  years  the  flow  of  latex 
almost  invariably  stopped,  and  success  was  turned  into  failure.  The 
one  exception  was  in  the  case  of  the  Boror  Co.,  which  had  a  plantation 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA, 


29 


near  Villa  Pereira,  about  80  miles  from  Quilimane.  This  company 
planted  750,000  trees  upon  a  favorable  site  under  the  guidance  of 
experienced  and  qualified  men,  and  the  trees  were  cared  for  in  a 
highly  scientific  and  modern  manner.  Prior  to  and  during  the  war 
this  company  paid  expenses,  but  has  since  been  operating  at  a  loss. 

Vines  yielding  rubber  are  to  be  found  in  many  parts  oi  Portuguese 
East  Africa.  Although  the  greater  number  of  the  rubber  vines  belong 
to  the  Landolvhia  JcirJcii  class,  there  are  other  varieties,  such  as  the 
Landolphia  delag aensis  and  Landolvhia  mgscarenhasei.  Huge  forests 
still  exist  in  Inhambane,  Gaza,  and  Mozambique,  where  the  rubber 
vines  can  be  seen  hanging  down  the  trees  in  great  numbers.  They 

frow  from  the  soil,  climb  up  the  tree,  and  then  hang  down  from  the 
ranches.  They  have  frequently  a  diameter  of  5  and  6  inches,  and 
the  average  can  be  taken  as  2\  to  3  inches. 

At  the  time  raw  rubber  was  obtained  in  this  country  native  labor 
alone  was  employed.  The  native  climbed  the  tree  upon  which  the 
vines  were  hanging  and  tapped  the  bark  of  the  vine  with  a  blunt 
instrument.  The  latex  exuded  slowly  and  coagulated  upon  exposure 
to  the  air.  The  coagulated  product  was  then  rolled  upon  a  stick  of 
4  to  5  inches  in  length  until  a  roll  weighing  3  to  4  ounces  was  obtained. 
Then  another  part  of  the  vine  was  tapped  and  the  process  continued 
in  the  same  manner  as  just  stated. 

Owing  to  the  slow  exudation  of  the  latex  the  bucket  was  not  used 
in  this  country  for  collection  as  in  Brazil.  The  method  employed 
was  very  slow,  and  as  only  6  to  7  ounces  per  day  could  be  collected, 
it  was  very  expensive.  However,  during  the  prosperous  period  of 
1909  and  1910  all  of  the  natives  available  were  employed  in  connection 
with  rubber  collecting,  and  at  that  time  the  exports  amounted  to 
several  thousand  pounds  sterling  per  annum. 


PEANUTS. 


There  are  no  statistics  which  indicate  the  approximate  acreage 
under  the  cultivation  of  peanuts  in  Portuguese  East  Africa,  and  no 
data  available  for  estimating  total  production  of  this  product.  How¬ 
ever,  it  is  generally  known  that  peanuts  are  grown  throughout  Portu¬ 
guese  East  Africa  and  that  the  total  yield  is  worthy  of  consideration. 
The  plant  thrives  extremely  well  in  various  parts  of  the  Province, 
especially  in  the  districts  of  Chai  Chai,  Inhambane,  and  Mozambique, 
and  to  a  lesser  extent  in  the  country  surrounding  Lourenco  Marques. 
The  peanut  industry  is  also  growing  in  importance  near  Beira,  and 
that  city  may  be  regarded  as  the  principal  market  of  this  product. 

Peanuts  are  grown  almost  entirely  by  natives,  who  plant  patches 
here  and  there  over  wide  and  unsettled  areas.  A  very  small  percent¬ 
age  of  the  natives’  crop  actually  reaches  the  market,  as  it  is  either 
consumed  by  them  as  food  or  is  fed  to  animals  after  having  been 

Sounded  into  a  sort  of  cake.  In  the  more  thickly  settled  areas  en- 
eavor  is  being  made  to  cultivate  peanuts  upon  a  fair  scale  with  the 
aid  of  native  labor  under  the  supervision  of  white  men.  A  great  part 
of  the  output  obtained  in  this  manner  is  also  consumed  as  food,  but 
at  least  15,000  tons  are  forwarded  each  year  to  foreign  markets. 

The  methods  of  cultivating  and  harvesting  peanuts  in  Portuguese 
East  Africa  is  still  very  primitive.  •  A  very  large  part  of  the  work 
connected  therewith  is  performed  by  hand.  Labor  is  extremely 
cheap,  and  for  that  reason  the  use  of  machinery  is  limited.  There 


30 


PORTUGUESE  EAST  AFRICA. 


are,  however,  a  few  plows  and  shellers  scattered  throughout  the 
country.  These  are  principally  of  American  manufacture,  and  are 
to  be  found  on  estates  near  trading  centers  and  along  the  coast. 

The  chief  variety  of  peanuts  grown  in  Portuguese  East  Africa  is 
known  as  the  “Virginian  bunch/'  and  is  to  be  found  on  native  settle¬ 
ments  in  the  interior  as  well  as  on  farms  along  the  littoral.  The  soil 
of  the  Province  is  very  rich  in  nearly  all  parts,  and,  as  the  climatic 
conditions  are  favorable  for  the  growth  of  vegetable  products,  there 
is  hardly  any  reason  why  almost  any  variety  of  peanuts  suitable  to 
tropical  conditions  should  not  be  grown  very  successfully.  In  any 
event,  the  yield  of  peanuts  in  this  Province  under  proper  cultiva¬ 
tion  is  estimated  to  be  about  1,000  kilos  per  acre. 

Peanuts  are  exported  chiefly  to  France  and  also  to  England, 
Netherlands,  Belgium,  and  Denmark.  Prior  to  the  war  Germany 
obtained  a  fair  percentage  of  the  peanut  crop  of  this  Province. 

CASHEW  NUTS. 

The  cashew  nut  is  found  throughout  Portuguese  East  Africa,  The 
tree  is  of  a  large,  spreading  type,  with  leaves  of  a  fairly  good  size.  In 
the  district  of  Lourenco  Marques,  where  there  is  a  considerable  num¬ 
ber  of  these  trees,  the  fruit  ripens  in  January  and  February.  The 
fruit  is  used  chiefly  by  the  natives  for  making  alcohol,  while  the  nut, 
which  grows  outside  of  the  fleshy  fruit,  is  employed  to  a  small  extent 
as  a  substitute  for  almonds  in  connection  with  the  manufacture  of 
confectionery.  It  has  an  excellent  flavor.  The  nut  is  valuable  for 
the  fine  oil  which  it  contains,  but  very  little  use  is  made  of  it  in  this 
respect. 

There  is  no  export  trade  in  this  article,  as  the  fruit  is  eaten  prin¬ 
cipally  by  natives  and  the  trees  are  insufficient  in  number  and'  so 
scattered  as  to  preclude  a  big  business  being  developed. 

KAPOK  AND  BEESWAX. 

Kapok  is  derived  from  a  tree  of  the  same  name,  which  produces  a 
vegetable  down,  employed  in  stuffing  cushions.  The  fact  that  kapok 
is  light  and  impervious  to  water  has  led  to  its  use  in  life-saving  cloth¬ 
ing.  The  Empreza  Agricola  do  Lugella  (Ltd.)  has  350  hectares  (865 
acres)  under  cultivation  in  the  district  of  Quilimane  on  which  it  has 
planted  35,000  plants.  These  plants  have  not  yet  reached  a  full 
state  of  maturity. 

Exports  of  beeswax  from  the  principal  ports  in  1913  and  1920  are 
shown  in  the  following  table: 


Ports. 

1913 

1920 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Kilos. 

Value. 

Lourenco  Marques . 

5, 144 
39, 299 
30, 420 
18, 321 
6, 922 
68,696 

$3, 558 
21, 976 
13, 550 
7, 777 
2,731 
36, 993 

39, 110 
6, 350 
28, 765 
5, 393 
17, 149 
23, 180 

$28, 306 
4,983 
20,714 
4,296 
13,746 
12, 218 

Inhambane . 

Chinde . 

Quilimane . . 

Mozambique . 

Beira . 

Total . .* _ 

168, 802 

86, 585 

119, 947 

84, 263 

o 


